You In The End
by Melissa7187
Summary: It starts and ends with a kiss. Beca, Chloe, and everything in between. Beca and Chloe's journey begins in Barden, but takes them to places that they never imagined. An admission of a love in New York City, a summer together in Maine, and back to school where everything changes with one accident. Completed. Part one of three works. Sequel is "Keep Breathing"
1. Dog Days Are Over

**Chapter One: Dog Days Are Over**

As Beca stood at the top of the steps that led down into the outdoor theatre, she couldn't help but think that this was a stupid idea. It was one thing to arrive fashionably late to a party, but she hardly knew anyone here and from the pile of empty red cups scattered in and around the garbage cans, she was pretty sure that mostly everyone was drunk. She desperately wanted to turn around and go back to her room, immersing herself in a new mix and ignoring the glares from Kimmy Jin, but Chloe had asked her in person to come and she couldn't let her down.

Beca watched the party for a good minute and sighed heavily before pulling her jacket a little tighter around her body and starting down the hundreds of steps that led to the festivities below. She looked around as she started down the stairs and smiled when she immediately spotted one of her fellow Bellas, Stacie. Her joy was short-lived though as she watched as Stacie joined hands with a seated Cynthia-Rose and pulled her to her feet. They both appeared to be heavily drunk and Stacie leaned on the bigger girl as they made their way up the stairs.

Beca grinned to herself and made a mental reminder to text Amy with the news. They had secretly been betting on how long it would take for the fierce lesbian and the sex-obsessed freshman to hook up and it looked like Beca had just won herself twenty bucks.

The music was getting louder as she headed further into the pit and she allowed herself to bop along with it to try and loosen up. Whoever was in charge of the DJing was doing a pretty good job and she was surprised to hear some decent music instead of the garbage that was popular on the radio. Sure, she remixed popular songs and had a hard drive full of club ready jams, but she wasn't all that fond of them as stand-alone songs. Maybe that made her a music snob, but she knew that she was good and could easily see her stuff replacing any Top-40 hit on the radio.

Once she reached the bottom of the theatre, she headed towards the music so she could find out just who was putting together this enviable playlist of songs. She let the pounding bass guide her body and almost fell over when she saw Aubrey standing in front of a laptop, adding songs to her queue on iTunes and moving her body back and forth in time to the music.

Beca touched Aubrey's shoulder and tried not to smile when the girl whirled around in surprise. It took Aubrey approximately two seconds to compose herself before giving Beca her patented glare and raising one of her eyebrows in a questioning manner. Beca allowed herself to smirk and said "You have a really nice set list playing. So, when can we expect to hear the pumping jams of Ace of Base and Mariah Carey? It can't be an Aubrey Posen music session without flashing back to the '90s."

Aubrey simply shook her head and took a long drink out of her glass, wincing as she tasted the strong grain alcohol slide over her thirsty lips. She had started the party out with a beer, but allowed herself to get distracted with Amy and soon ended up with a cup full of the spiked punch. She knew that it would get her drunk quickly, but she just wanted to have fun tonight and soon one cup turned into three. She had no idea where the vivacious Australian was now, but wasn't worried. If anyone could handle themselves, it was Amy.

Aubrey flashed a fake smile at Beca and said "That's cute. For your information, Mariah Carey is still popular and I'm sure that there are tons of people that love Ace of Base. I know that you're still high off of remixing us into a winning team, but those songs still got us to the finals and they mean a lot to some people."

Beca nodded as she continued to smirk, hearing a slight slur in Aubrey's speech and wondering just how much she had drank so far. She had never seen the militant girl drunk before and while the prospect of it excited her, she also was a little uneasy as she remembered how notoriously weak Aubrey's stomach was. She could smell the alcohol in the drink that Aubrey was holding and said "Maybe you should take it a little easy on the punch. You never know what can happen when you get drunk or who you might hook up with. Keep this up, and you might end up in the bed of a Treble."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and said "I'm not drunk, Beca. Posens don't get drunk, we can handle our liquor. Anyway, I don't want to fight with you. This party is for Chloe and she'll be seriously pissed if she finds out that we're bickering again. Also, I didn't make this set list. This is something that Chloe put together before we got here. Apparently she didn't trust her best friend to make the perfect soundtrack to her birthday party."

Beca gazed down at the playlist on the laptop and tried to remember a few of the titles so she could make Chloe a mix later. The redhead went crazy whenever Beca gave her new music and it helped to get some insight into the musical mind of Chloe Beale.

She felt Aubrey's eyes boring into her and sighed before saying "Do you know where Chloe is? I love talking to you and all, but I kind of want to see the birthday girl."

Aubrey smiled knowingly at Beca and said "The last time I saw her, she was sitting on stage. By the way, I hope you got her something good for her birthday. After the stunt that you pulled in New York at ICCAs, you seriously owe her. I don't want to have her crying on my shoulder all night again."

Beca rolled her eyes and didn't question Aubrey further, knowing full well what had made the bubbly girl upset. It had made her upset too and when she tried to approach Chloe at their hotel that night to talk about it further, Aubrey practically slugged her in the face. Chloe never mentioned it after that night and things went back to the way they were before, but Beca wasn't sure if that was what she wanted.

Beca walked away from Aubrey and climbed onto the stage, making her way across it when she caught a flash of flaming red hair towards the wings. She spotted Chloe sitting on a folding chair, with her cell phone in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Chloe didn't notice her as she poured over her phone and when Beca got a little closer she said "Hey, Beale! What are you doing sitting all by yourself at your party? You only turn twenty-two once; you should be living it up."

Chloe immediately jumped to her feet and gave Beca a warm hug, one that Beca desperately wanted to last longer than the few moments that Chloe held her. The redhead had a huge smile on her face and Beca felt warmth spread through her body at the sight of it. She swore sometimes that Chloe's smile could cause heart failure. It lit up her whole face and somehow made her eyes seem a little bluer, if that was even possible. In short, Beca was head over heels for Chloe and was fighting herself from pulling the girl back in for another embrace.

Chloe kissed Beca's cheek and said "I didn't think you were coming. I know you're not that comfortable with a lot of people and I just figured that you wouldn't show. I'm happy that you did though. Did you see any of the other Bellas?"

Beca shrugged and said "I saw Cynthia-Rose and Stacie leaving with each other, but I think we all saw that one coming. Besides them, the only other person I saw was Aubrey. We had a nice debate about Ace of Base and I could see that she was getting a little tired of my presence, so I left in search of you. She looked like she was kinda drunk, which should be interesting. From the looks of it, you've been drinking too."

Beca pointed at the water bottle that Chloe was holding and Chloe shook her head before saying "I haven't had a drop of alcohol tonight. I think that birthdays are best remembered when you're sober and since this is my last one at Barden, I wanted to remember everything. Things aren't so great right now though since everyone is pretty drunk. We should probably call it a night soon before the cops show up and breaks things up. It's only a matter of time before someone does something stupid and campus security hands out a bunch of under-age citations. Do you…want to go someplace a little quieter?"

Beca nodded and pulled Chloe to her feet, linking hands with the girl and walking with her back to a small dressing room just off of the stage. They went inside and Chloe shut and locked the door behind her, not wanting anyone to bust in and break up her conversation. She had been preparing for this since ICCAs and while she didn't want her heart broken on her birthday, she didn't have much time left. Graduation was in four days and she wouldn't see Beca after that, so time definitely wasn't on her side.

Beca slumped onto the couch in the room and Chloe pulled up a chair in front of her and sunk onto it, gazing down at the brunette and studying her face. She looked really tense and Chloe worried what was eating at the girl, but knew that she wouldn't get a straight answer if she asked Beca. Beca was a private person and that was something that Chloe knew she wouldn't be able to change. Besides, she had a few secrets of her own and never thought of divulging them, especially to the one person that she never wanted to judge or think badly of her.

After a few moments, Beca broke the silence and said "So, what kind of stuff did you get? You were going out to dinner with your parents before this, right?"

Chloe nodded and said "Yeah, with my mom and step-dad. My father is still over in Tokyo on a business trip, so he had my mom give me my present. He's not going to make it to graduation, but I always figured that would happen."

Chloe's eyes became a little teary and Beca sat up, placing her hands on Chloe's forearms and gripping them tenderly. She gazed into Chloe's eyes and said "He doesn't know what he's missing out on. As much as my dad has disappointed me over the years, he would never miss something this big and I'm really sorry."

Chloe simply nodded and swiped her tears away with the back of her hand, trying not to break down as the disappointment weighed heavily on her chest. Her father had missed every major moment of her life so far, so why was this bugging her so much? She could count the amount of times that she had seen him in the last ten years on one hand and while he took care of her financially, she just wished for something more.

Chloe fished through her purse and pulled out a set of car keys, tossing them into Beca's hands. Beca looked down at the emblem on the key ring and said "Holy crap! He bought you a Beemer?"

Chloe smiled and said "Yeah. My dad is the king of apology presents. Last year when he missed my birthday, he paid the rent for me and Aubrey's apartment for the entire year. This time, I think he's also including a graduation present. You know what it's like though. Isn't that how you got all of your DJ stuff?"

Beca nodded and said "Yeah. My dad missed my sixteenth birthday and forgot about it for a month while he was on vacation with the step-monster. My mom laid into him really hard when he got back and the next day, I woke up with a new Mac sitting on my bed and all of my mixing stuff. Never a car though, which is kind of disappointing. I guess this kind of makes up for him not showing up, right?"

Chloe just shrugged and said "I guess. He probably didn't even try to come home, but I'm not all that surprised. Anyway, my mom got me a new laptop and my step-dad got me my first hospital coat with my name stitched into it. Bree knitted me a blanket with the Bellas logo on it and apparently it took her three months to make it. I got a bunch of other stuff, but the best present came from Amy. Check this out."

Chloe reached for a box that she had stashed in the room and took the top off, pulling out a hat and putting it onto her head. Beca laughed loudly at the sight of Chloe wearing a replica of Crocodile Dundee's hat, complete with fake crocodile teeth in the brim. Chloe smiled as she tugged it off and said "She insisted that she wrestled an alligator for those teeth. I'm not so sure if I believe her, but you never know."

Beca grinned and said "Well, it looks great on you and I'm glad that you had a nice birthday. So, I know I can't measure up to a BMW, but I got you something too."

Chloe sighed heavily and said "Bec, I told you not to get me anything. You're going to need your money once you're in LA and I don't want you to blow it on me. Just having you here is enough. I don't know half of those people out there and that's why I was on my phone when you found me. I was trying to get a hold of you because you're the only person that I wanted here, besides Aubrey and the other girls."

Beca looked down at her shoes and softly said "Well, I'm here now and you have me for as long as you need me. Anyway, this gift didn't cost me anything and I think that those are the best kinds of gifts. So, here."

She pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket and watched as Chloe unfolded it and scanned over it. After a few seconds, Chloe smiled and said "A Barden housing contract! I haven't seen one of these in a while. It's a little late thought to try and get me as your roommate. You're going to be across the country and I'll be at a different school next semester. It's a sweet idea though."

Beca rolled her eyes and said "Sometimes, you can be really dumb. Read what's written on the paper and then talk to me about it. I think you'll like it."

Chloe shoved her playfully and turned her attention back to the paper, really reading it this time. As she made her way down the sheet, she felt her breath catch in her chest and tears sting at the corners of her eyes. She read over it a few more times and could practically feel Beca staring at her, but she had to be sure that this was real. Once she was certain, she looked up at Beca and said "You're really staying? I thought you were ready to pack your bags and go out to LA. What's this all about?"

Beca shrugged as a smile played on her lips and said "Well, it all started when a very nosey redhead busted in on my shower. I knew she was checking out my body, but she also had a really great voice and it kind of woke me up. I had never heard something like that and we sounded really good together. So, I followed her advice, tried out for her nerdy group, and found a bunch of friends that I never knew that I would need in my life. I can't leave them now, especially now that our fearless leaders are leaving. We have a reputation to uphold and I'm not going to let them destroy what you and Aubrey put together. I'm kind of cool like that."

Chloe smiled widely and said "Well, I never knew that I had that effect on you. I'm not going to lie about checking out your body, but I had no idea that I "woke you up". I didn't think that the cool and confident Beca Mitchell needed awakening."

Beca sighed and said "Chloe, I needed you more than you can imagine. I didn't have anyone before you walked in on my shower and I felt a connection to you instantly. It wasn't just that I needed this club to get to LA…I needed a friend too. You always defended me against Aubrey and seemed so interested in me, in a way that no one has ever been. We really did become fast friends and you opened me up and now I have the other girls and I'm not alone anymore. This is all because of you and I want you to know how important you are to me. I'm really going to miss you when you head out to North Carolina for school, but Atlanta is a lot closer to your school then LA will ever be."

Chloe felt the blood rush to her face and she looked down at her feet, stumbling to find the right words to counter what Beca had just revealed to her. She couldn't think of any and instead looked into Beca's eyes for a moment, her heart racing when she saw the tears forming in the younger girls eyes and ignoring her own that were sliding freely down her cheeks. They stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity and then Chloe did the only thing that made sense, taking Beca's face in her hands gently and stroking her cheeks before kissing her firmly on the lips.

It wasn't earth shattering or anything like a kiss in a movie, but to Beca it meant everything. She had imagined this moment since she met Chloe in the shower and to finally have it happen took her breath away. She didn't want it to end, but eventually Chloe pulled away and smiled shyly at her, worrying her lip as she tried to get a read on Beca's reaction. Beca looked up from the redheads' lips and gazed into her eyes, staring at her in a comfortable silence for a never-ending moment before pulling her in for a hug.

Chloe gasped as Beca's arms wrapped around her back and melted into the hug, burying her face into Beca's shoulder and murmuring soft encouragements that Beca would never be able to hear. Beca had never been the one to initiate contact and it felt so overwhelmingly good that Chloe had to bite her lip to stop the tears from leaving her eyes. She had wanted this for so long, practically since she met the girl at the activities fair, and now it was finally happening.

After a minute, Beca pulled away and Chloe softly said "So, this is what it feels like to get everything that you've ever wanted. What took you so long? Do you know how long I've waited for that kiss?"

Beca looked down at her boots and said "I just didn't want to scare you away. You're my best friend and I didn't want to lose you over a kiss. I didn't want to lose the Bellas either and I just pushed the feelings away so things didn't get screwed up. I'm sorry about what happened with Jesse at ICCAs. I just wanted to give him his movie ending and it wasn't anything serious. It actually felt like kissing my brother and he agreed, so we're not together now or ever. I wanted to tell you that when I came over to your hotel room, but Aubrey stopped me. She actually tried to hit me when I tried to push past her to see you. I'm sorry I put you through that and now I just wish that we had more time. You're going to be gone in a few days and I have no idea when I'll see you again. I have terrible timing."

Chloe watched as the girl tried not to make eye contact with her and could hear the unshed tears in her voice. Chloe guided her to the couch and kneeled down in front of her, taking Beca's face in her hands again and kissing the tip of her nose. A single tear made its way down Beca's face and Chloe wiped it away with the back of her hand, before softly saying "Don't cry. It doesn't matter when you acted on it or how long it took; I'm just glad that we finally have each other now. I have something to tell you and I hope you don't get mad at me for keeping it from you. I'm not going to med school in North Carolina. I applied at a few different places and I got into one of my choices in Atlanta. I'm really happy here and I couldn't imagine myself leaving you guys behind. I don't want to make new friends or live by myself, so Aubrey and I are going to get an apartment in the city and we'll only be twenty minutes away. We'll see each other all the time."

Beca looked up at her in shock and said "How long did you know about this? Did everyone know but me?"

Chloe sighed and said "Pretty much. I asked them not to tell you anything because I didn't want to give you an excuse to give up on your dream. I didn't want you to feel like you had to stay at Barden for me. I'm just glad that you made the decision on your own and that we're going to be able to see each other and not do some long distance thing. I just hope that you're not regretting your decision now. Are you prepared to be Amy's roommate for an entire year?"

Beca smiled and said "Yeah, it should be interesting. She's...definitely one of a kind and I'm sure that it'll be a little different than rooming with Kimmy Jin, but I can handle it. If she annoys me too much, I can always visit my gorgeous girlfriend and annoy her roommate. I'm actually really looking forward to next semester now."

Chloe laughed at the idea of Beca spending time with Aubrey and said "You called me your girlfriend. I like the sound of that. Come on, let's get out of here and see what kind of damage the hoodlums did. I would normally trust Aubrey to keep everyone in line, but she's finally loosening up and she's a little different with alcohol in her."

Chloe flung her arm around her girlfriends' shoulders and walked with her out of the room. The music had been turned down a little and Chloe hoped that things were wrapping up so she could go home and get some sleep, preferably with her favorite brunette accompanying her. When they rounded the corner to enter the stage, they were greeted with the sight of their fellow Bellas holding a flaming birthday cake and a collective cheer of "Happy Birthday!"

Chloe blew out the candles and Amy said "What did you wish for, Ginger?"

Aubrey shot Amy a look and said "If she says, then it won't come true. Where were you at anyway? I thought when I sent Beca back there it would be a distraction, but not an hour long one. We got everyone cleared out and then we had to wait a half hour for you two to come out. It was pretty rude Chloe and I think you should tell us what you were talking about. We're all _very _interested in what Beca had to say to you."

Beca could feel her face turning red and Chloe softly said "Well, it's not really any of your business. What we talked about is between my girlfriend and me."

Cynthia Rose cackled loudly and slapped hands with an equally elated Stacie. They had both been taking bets on how long it would take for Beca to man up and admit her feelings. From the looks of it, they had both hit the jackpot.

Beca rolled her eyes and said "What are you two celebrating for? From what I saw earlier, Chloe and I aren't the only ones that are dating each other. Do you have something you'd like to say, Cynthia? Stacie?"

Cynthia simply shook her head and said "You're wrong about that one. When we left together, we were going to get Chloe's cake. I saw the look on your face and while it's humbling to hear from Amy that you were betting on our relationship, you're not going to win. Some girls can just be friends with each other without falling in love."

Beca bit her lip as a smile threatened to reveal itself and Amy broke the awkward silence by saying "I'm surrounded by lesbians! Let's eat this cake before it starts to spread. I can't beat you lot off of me and eat cake at the same time."

Aubrey shot Chloe and Beca a warm smile and carried the cake over to a card table where she started to dish it out onto plates. Chloe looked down at Beca and was about to say something sarcastic when a song started to play from the speakers. It was _Dog Days Are Over _by Florence and The Machine and Chloe smiled before saying "This is my jam! Dance with me!"

Beca begrudgingly let the taller girl pull her over to the speakers and wrap her arms tightly around her back. They swayed back and forth as the music swelled and Beca could see the other girls watching her, but didn't really care. She felt comfortable in Chloe's arms and that was all that mattered.

Chloe kissed Beca's cheek and said "Do you hear them? They're talking about how cute we are. Aubrey looks like she's practically going to cry."

Beca laughed lightly and said "Let them talk. I'm the one going home with the prettiest girl at the party. So, what did you wish for? I hope it's not to get lucky, because I'm not that kind of girl."

Chloe grinned despite herself and said "It's tempting, but I didn't ask for that. I have something to ask you and don't feel pressured to say yes. I'm going to spend summer break at my grandparents' vacation home up in Maine. I'm leaving after graduation and driving straight up the coast. I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me. It's just a road trip and there's no real rush to get there, so we can stop at whatever looks interesting and see a bunch of stupid stuff. I just…I'd like to spend some time with you away from all of this. You can stay as long as you want at the vacation house and I think it'll really be fun. What do you say?"

Beca smiled as Chloe exhaled heavily, having rushed through all of that nervously, and said "Are you done? You had me at road trip. I'd love to spend the summer with you."

Chloe kissed Beca passionately and didn't pull away from her until they could hear wolf whistles and cat calls coming from the other girls. Beca shook her head and flipped them the bird before leaning her forehead against Chloe's and softly saying "I wish we could disappear from here. Go somewhere where we can just be alone."

Chloe stroked her hair gently and said "We have all summer for that. Besides, I just got my birthday wish and that calls for a little more celebrating. Come on, let's go get some cake."

Beca nodded and watched as Chloe went over to the table and was met with good natured ribbing and a giant hug from Aubrey. They all looked so happy and after everything that they had been through over the semester, they deserved it. She deserved it too and for the first time in a long time, Beca allowed herself to feel happiness and joined her friends as they feasted on cake and sang at the top of their lungs until campus police broke the party up at dawn. Life was pretty good.


	2. Open Book-Part One

**A/N: Thank you for all of the positive feedback for this story. This and the next chapter were originally supposed to be one long chapter, but I got a little carried away with this first part and split them up. This first part covers the first portion of the road trip and the second part will cover the rest of it. **

**Chapter Two: Open Book-Part One**

Beca glared down at the map that Chloe had spread across her bed and said "I just don't understand why we have to go to the beach first. You're making us cut across the whole state and South Carolina just to have a few hours there. We're going to be by a beach the whole summer. What is so important about Myrtle Beach?"

Chloe shrugged and said "I love it there and like you just said, we have the whole summer to spend in Maine. What's the rush to head up north? We're going on a road trip! The whole idea is to be spontaneous and to see as much as we can. You've never been there before and I want you to see my favorite place."

Beca folded the map up with a sigh and said "I want to see things with you, but I don't want to spend days in a car. You're adding a day of travel on and I think it's stupid, but if you want to go then we will. So, do you want to help me pack?"

Chloe shook her head and said "I can't believe you waited until the night before to get your stuff ready. I invited you four days ago and you would think that you could make a little effort to plan ahead. Now, it's midnight on the eve of our trip and you have nothing in your suitcases. You're so lazy."

Beca just shrugged with a smirk on her lips and said "Well, if you help me we can get it done faster. I'm not good at this kind of stuff. I don't know what the weather is like up there or what computer stuff I'm going to need when we inevitably get bored and I'm dying to make a mix. Please?"

Chloe ignored the puppy dog eyes that Beca was giving her and firmly said "No. We have to leave at eight tomorrow and I need to sleep since I'm going to be driving all day. I'm going to leave you to get your stuff together and I'll see you in the morning."

Chloe stood and crossed the room, giving Beca a brief kiss on the lips before heading to the guest room. Beca flopped back onto her bed with a sigh and stared up at the ceiling, trying to imagine what the trip would be like. She was excited and scared at the same time and was putting off packing because that would make the trip real. This was her first big trip without one of her parents accompanying her and she would be lying if she said that she was confident about it. 1,300 miles was a long way from home and what if she hated Maine? What if she and Chloe fought the whole time and broke up? What if she fell head over heels in love? The possibilities were endless and each one twisted her gut more as she tried to motivate herself to stand up and get her stuff packed.

She was about to close her eyes and sleep for a little while when she heard music coming from the room next door. Chloe liked to listen to music as she fell asleep and Beca instantly recognized the track playing as one that she had made for Chloe as a graduation present. The idea of Chloe listening to something that she had created to fall asleep calmed Beca and she hummed along lightly before rising and starting to pack her things. Maybe this trip wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Day One: Duluth to Myrtle Beach**

Beca leaned her face against the passenger window of the sedan and tried to relax as the day wore on and on. They had been traveling for just over six hours now and while the miles remaining on the GPS continued to drop off as Chloe drove, it still felt like an eternity. Beca had had the worst day so far and if they didn't get there soon, she was pretty sure that she would snap.

It all started in the morning when she awoke to a full breakfast that Sheila had prepared for them and the watchful eyes of her father as he stared her down while they ate. Chloe seemed to be able to ignore how stressed out he looked, but Beca couldn't and could barely eat anything as her stomach became unsettled. As she made her way out to the car a little while later, she quickly figured out what was eating at him when he gave her an envelope full of cash and an emergency credit card, along with a stern lecture. He sounded serious when he said no drugs, no alcohol, and no more arrests. She couldn't believe that he didn't trust her, but she guessed that she really had given him no reason to in light of her behavior over the last semester.

Once they got into the car and drove away, Beca had hoped that things would turn around but that simply wasn't in her cards. The first hour had gone okay, with Chloe humming along quietly to the radio and Beca able to get a little rest. Soon after though, Beca started to feel sick to her stomach and tried to get Chloe to pull to the side of the road, but was too late as her entire breakfast came up and got all over her clothes and the passenger side of the car.

Chloe had been amazing though and didn't freak out when she saw the mess that had been made in her brand new car. She simply got off at the nearest exit, found a store, and bought a ton of cleaning supplies and stuff to make Beca feel better. Beca felt terrible as she stood to the side and drank her ginger ale as Chloe scrubbed the car clean, but Chloe insisted that it was okay and for her not to get bent out of shape over it. Once she had the car clean, Chloe shielded Beca's body and got her undressed and into something more comfortable and then started back on the road again.

Beca got sick two more times over the next couple of hours but was able to keep it in a trash can that Chloe had picked up at the store. By the time lunchtime rolled around, Beca was passed out on the back seat and Chloe didn't have the heart to wake her, letting her sleep as she ate by herself in a small diner that she found off of a random exit in the heart of South Carolina.

Beca woke up to an hour later to a pounding headache and hoped that Chloe had picked up some coffee, but was disappointed to find out that she had forgotten. She had to bite her tongue to stop from saying something stupid and simply climbed into the front seat and stared ahead at the scenery. This was becoming horrible quickly and she wasn't surprised that Chloe didn't say a word for the rest of the way.

Beca knew that she was being immature about the whole situation and ruining Chloe's good time, but she just wanted to get out of the car and sleep so they could start over the next day with a clean slate. Eventually they arrived in Myrtle Beach and Beca could see Chloe grinning widely as they passed ocean front resorts and tourist traps. Chloe lived for this kind of thing and Beca allowed herself to relax for a moment and to become a little excited too. This was definitely out of her comfort zone, but it made Chloe happy and that was all that mattered.

Her excitement was short-lived however, when they pulled in front of a dingy looking hotel that was neither a resort or ocean front. Beca could only come up with one word for it and that was "dumpy". As Chloe pulled into the parking lot of the hotel, Beca sighed and said "Are we really staying here? I think I just got a STD just by looking at it. There was a Hilton right up the road that we could go to. I have money, if that's a problem."

Chloe simply shook her head and said "This place is fine. We're only spending one night and it's not dingy, it's homey. Wait here while I go inside and check us in."

Beca watched in shock as Chloe excited the car and started to take in her surroundings, mentally making a note to check for mice, cockroaches, and bed bugs in that order once they got their room key. She also locked the doors, feeling pretty sure that this was probably a place where major drug deals went down. What the hell was Chloe thinking? The girl drove around in a BMW, but picked the cheapest hotel around to stay at. Was she trying to get them killed?

Chloe returned to the car a few minutes later and said "We can just park right here. Our room is right here on the ground level so we don't have to lug our junk up a bunch of stairs. Come on, let's go and put our stuff in the room and then grab something to eat. I know just the place, too."

Beca rolled her eyes at Chloe's excitement and wordlessly grabbed her duffel bag from the trunk of the car and followed Chloe into their room. While Chloe was excited about not having to climb a flight of stairs, Beca's mind immediately flashed to the worst possibilities and her head pounded as she imagined listening to someone get murdered or raped above them tonight while she tried to sleep. She shook herself a little, trying to get the images out of her head, and stepped into the room which surprisingly wasn't too bad. There was a TV and two beds and furnishings that were stuck in the '90s, but nothing too terrible that she couldn't deal with it.

Chloe was already inside and trying not to laugh as she watched as Beca checked every surface of the room for bugs before putting her bag onto one of the beds. Beca then uneasily sunk onto the bed and Chloe softly said "You know, it's not that bad. I've stayed in hotels that were a lot worse than this one. Anyway, don't get too comfortable because I want to leave once I grab a quick shower. I want to beat the dinner rush so we can eat as soon as we get there and then spend some time down at the beach. I'll be right back."

Beca nodded and covered her face with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut as she heard Chloe start the shower. The shower head emitted an ungodly sound and it made Beca want to shove her headphones on and drift away, but she had to keep her guard up in a place like this.

Chloe came out of the small bathroom twenty minutes later in a cloud of steam and brushed her still damp hair with her hands while staring at the smaller girl on the bed. Beca tore her hands from her face and said "I think I'm going to sit dinner out. I feel like crap and I don't want to ruin your good time. Just bring me back some Starbucks and a donut, I'll be fine."

Chloe shook her head and said "You haven't had anything to eat since this morning and what little that you ate at your dad's house, you threw up. You'll feel better once you get some food in you and I'm sure that they have coffee at this restaurant. Come on, it'll be fine."

Beca finally snapped and said "No it won't, Chloe! I'm exhausted, I'm pretty sure that I have puke stuck in my hair, and I just want to go to sleep. What was so great about this place that we had to come here? We should be halfway to Baltimore by now, not stuck in some shitty hotel miles away from the beach. What's your deal with this place, Chloe? I seriously don't get it."

Chloe's eyes stung with tears at Beca's harsh words and she sunk onto the bed next to brunette; close enough to see her, but not near enough to touch her. She was tired too and Beca's antics that day weren't making it any easier. This was supposed to be fun and now it just seemed like a big mistake. Finally, after three minutes of silence, Chloe softly said "My parents got divorced when I was five and the only vacation we took as a family was down here. I had just turned four and it was before things got messy between them, so it was really nice. We didn't have a ton of money and we stayed at this hotel and my dad took me down to the beach and we played for hours. I have such great memories from that little vacation and I'm sorry that I forced you to come here, but I just wanted us to have memories too. I'm sorry Beca; I knew I shouldn't try to shove something on you that you wouldn't want. You can stay here if you want or I can drop you off at a nicer hotel."

Beca's face softened at Chloe's story and she slowly stood up and looked down at her emotional girlfriend. She gently ran a hand through Chloe's wavy hair and said "Come on, let's go get some dinner. I'm sorry for being a jerk to you, I just…I thought today would be a lot better and so far it's been a nightmare. This place really isn't so bad and now that I know the story, I understand why we came here. I'm going to try to be better, okay?"

Chloe simply nodded and gave Beca a tight hug that seemed to go on for ages, neither of them wanting to pull away and ruin the one thing that day that felt right. Eventually Chloe pulled away and held Beca's hand as they walked out of the room and got in the car. As Chloe pulled out of the parking lot, Beca started to fiddle with the radio station and Chloe smiled to herself, knowing that she was at least trying to make the rest of the day salvageable.

They drove down the bright strip of downtown Myrtle Beach and eventually reached a large restaurant with a huge billboard of a crab outside of it. Beca winced, both at the tackiness of it and at her hatred of seafood, but followed her girlfriend inside and to a table. The restaurant was a buffet and had at least six long tables of seafood, but Beca spotted some other types of foods and felt okay.

Once they made their first trips up and settled back down at the table, Chloe looked at Beca's plate and said "I forgot! You hate seafood, don't you? I'm so sorry, Beca. We can leave and go somewhere else. It's okay."

Beca simply shook her head and said "Chloe, don't apologize. You shouldn't have to remember stupid stuff like that. There's other stuff here for me to eat and I just want you to enjoy yourself. Besides, they have fresh coffee and that's the only thing that I really wanted for dinner."

Chloe nodded and sighed as she started to dig into her plate of seafood. She was far less excited now and felt terrible about forgetting, but Beca seemed okay about it and understood. They both ate their meals and made casual small talk until the restaurant started to get crowded and Chloe glanced down at her watch. She looked back up at Beca and said "It's after six. Do you want to go down to the beach before it gets dark? We can just take a walk and talk for a little while."

Beca nodded and said "That sounds great. No swimming though, because I left my suit back at the hotel." She could see Chloe smirking and softly said "Great, now you're going to jump me once we get there. I shouldn't have said anything."

Chloe laughed and wrapped her arm around Beca's back and walked with her out to the car. Beca held her hand the whole drive and once they reached the public beach a few miles from the restaurant, Beca helped Chloe out of the car and grabbed her hand again. They both seemed to relax for the first time that day and threw their shoes into the back of Chloe's car before heading down to the still warm sand.

Chloe gravitated to the moist sand that was near the water and gradually guided them towards the surf. Beca hated the feeling of the wet sand sticking to her feet but loved hearing Chloe giggle as the water crashed onto the beach and splashed up onto her legs.

It didn't take long for Chloe to get completely in the water and Beca watched as she danced in the surf, getting her pants soaked as she enjoyed the last of the day's sun. After standing on the side for a little while, she couldn't help herself and ran out to Chloe, hugging her tightly and then tackling her into the water when she least expected it. The girls wrestled in the water for a few moments and then just held each other as the water rushed in and then glided out. It felt good on their tired bodies and they sat there for an hour, just talking and watching the sun gradually set down into the horizon.

Once Chloe felt Beca shiver against her body, she knew that it was time to head back. They huddled together for warmth and practically ran to the car, not caring about the mess that they would make as they jumped in and turned the heater on. Chloe drove back to the hotel as quickly as possible and once they got inside, they both stripped down to their underwear and got into one of the beds. Their bodies were still damp from the ocean and Chloe could practically taste the salt on Beca's skin as she cradled her from behind, but neither dared to get out of their shared warmth and change or get showered off. There would be time for that tomorrow and for now, the strange intimacy of the moment was enough for both of them.

Beca let herself slip away first and Chloe could hear her breathing become shallow and steadier as sleep overtook her. As Beca reached the edge of consciousness, she felt warm breath on the back of her neck and heard Chloe softly murmur "I think I'm falling in love with you."

Beca desperately wanted to leave the bed and be by herself for a moment, but felt too warm and comfortable to leave. She knew that Chloe was just caught up in the moment and couldn't really love her. Besides, it was way too early for those types of feelings; the same feelings that she was desperately shoving away. She couldn't let herself admit that she was falling in love too, because the eventual heartbreak would be too much to bear. For now this was enough; love could come later.


	3. Open Book-Part Two

**Chapter Three: Open Book-Part Two**

* * *

**Day Two: Myrtle Beach to Baltimore**

The next day was a fresh start for Beca and started remarkably well. She had expected to wake up mortified and uncomfortable half naked in bed with Chloe, but instead awoke to the sweet smell of fresh coffee that Chloe had gone out to get while she was still asleep. The girl had already gotten a shower and was dressed as she sat on the other bed in the room and watched a morning talk show. Any awkwardness at the situation was ignored by Chloe, who simply wished her good morning and pointed at the coffee sitting on the small table in the room. Beca wrapped the sheet from the bed around her body and took a sip of it, before kissing Chloe on the forehead and getting a shower.

Once they left the hotel and set out on the road, the subject of last night wasn't brought up again and Beca was thankful. She didn't want to confront her feelings just yet or have a heavy conversation about how inexperienced she was at the whole sex thing. Instead, they sat in a comfortable silence and they both felt a little closer to each other, but neither dared to talk about it. For the first time in her life, Chloe was comfortable with just letting something go and enjoying the quiet moments with Beca. Besides, they had all summer to talk and to get down to the bottom of how they felt about each other. Chloe hoped that the love she felt for Beca was mutual, but knew that she would have to wait for Beca to express it herself and was okay with that. She would wait as long as it took until Beca felt comfortable enough to say it and time would only make it sweeter.

They didn't say much for a long time, just listening to the soft background noise of the radio and enjoying the sights of the beautiful South Carolina coast. Beca was finally able to realize just what Chloe loved about the area and tried to take in as much as possible so she could have memories that were as sweet as her girlfriend's. After a while she couldn't stand herself any longer and reached out for Chloe's free hand, taking it in hers and threading their fingers together as she stared out the window. A flood of emotions surged through Chloe's body and she pulled over at the rest stop as they finally crossed the border into North Carolina.

Beca looked over at Chloe and said "Why are we stopping? Are you sick now? Please tell me that you don't get car sick too, because I don't think I can clean you up like you did for me yesterday. I'm not too great with that kind of stuff."

Chloe shook her head and said "No, I just want to talk to you. You can't hold my hand like that and expect me to keep quiet about what I'm feeling, especially after last night. I've been keeping it inside and I thought that not talking would make it go away and make it easier on you, but I want to talk about it because it's important to me. I liked holding you and feeling your skin on mine all night. I liked listening to the little noises that you make when you're dreaming and having your face as the first thing I see when I wake up. I meant what I said last night, too. I know you heard me and it's okay if you don't feel it yet, but I'm starting to and I just wanted you to know. Could you at least say something to me? I can't drive another six hours to Baltimore in silence, I'll go crazy."

Beca smiled and softly said "I'm not ready to tell you how I feel yet, because this is all really new for me and I just have to get used to it first. It means a lot to know that you care for me and last night was really great too. I just…I didn't want things to get weird between us. I'm not ready to be intimate with you yet and last night was good, but is about as far as I want to go right now. I also don't want to drive in silence either, but I'm not so great at the whole making conversation thing. I'm sorry if you think I'm weird, but all of this is hard for me. I'm not used to opening up to anyone and I'm just taking it as it comes."

Chloe sighed quietly and said "What are we going to do with you, Beca Mitchell? I understand where you're coming from and I'm really happy that you told me what you're comfortable with. Last night doesn't change anything, besides the fact that I'm going to hold off on jumping your bones for a little while. So, I think before we start driving again, we should come up with an agreement for how this road trip is going to work. I've been thinking about it and I want to implement the "Chloe Beale Rules For A Successful Road Trip."

Beca laughed and said "Did you just come up with that right now?"

Chloe simply shrugged and said "Maybe. Okay, here are the rules. Number one, we cannot leave the car if a kick ass jam is playing. I don't care if it's Bohemian Rhapsody and we have to sit there for five minutes until we can leave. Music is everything and it's something that I want to share with you. Number two, we're going to stop at every rest stop when we enter a new state and take a picture with the state sign. I know it sounds tacky, but it'll give us something to look at later and realize just how far we went together. Finally, number three is probably the best rule of them all. We're each going to tell a secret about ourselves every hour. You have problems opening up and I'm an open book, so I'll go first and make a fool out of myself so it isn't so hard for you. What do you think?"

Beca smirked at how ridiculous the rules were but could see that Chloe had put a lot of thought into them and that they would help make things less awkward. She managed a slight smile and said "Well, let's go take our picture then. You're asking someone to take it though, because I don't want to look like a complete psycho."

Chloe smiled at Beca and said "Deal!" They both exited the car and Chloe led them up to a complete stranger and asked him to take their picture. The guy looked at Chloe like she had horns growing out of her head, but agreed to do it and Beca couldn't hide her smile as Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca tightly and said "Cheese!"

It was awkward and tacky and something that Beca never imagined herself doing, but she didn't stop herself from posing ridiculously with Chloe each time they stopped. Chloe had so much confidence in herself and what she did that it was impossible not to get caught up in it. When they stopped for the last time in Maryland, Beca even approached someone to take their picture and felt no embarrassment when Chloe practically straddled her and kissed her romantically in front of the complete stranger.

Beca even found herself opening up more, listening to Chloe bear her soul with each secret that she revealed and matching her with her own. Over the next five hours, Beca learnt that Chloe didn't go to prom because her family moved during her senior year, had never been in a serious relationship before, hadn't kissed a girl before Beca, had a huge crush on Aubrey when they first met, and was afraid of eventually letting her guard down and allowing herself to hate her father.

The last one shook Beca to her core because she could never imagine Chloe hating anyone. The girl seemed to love everything and had such an easy time connecting to people, that the idea of someone upsetting Chloe so much made Beca's heart ache. She had felt so alone last year with her issues with her father and the whole time there was someone going through just as much as she was. They had both been let down and broken by the one person that was supposed to love them unconditionally and Beca couldn't stop herself from hugging Chloe tightly, not pulling away until Chloe had to swerve to avoid hitting another car.

Over the same five hours, Chloe learnt that Beca had been popular before her parents' divorce but was miserable when she had to move with her mother from Seattle to Lansing and had no friends in her new high school. She also learnt that Beca had once had an online boyfriend that turned out to be a girl when they met, had had her first kiss with a girl during summer camp when she fourteen, had a little crush on Aubrey but mostly enjoyed pissing her off, and worried that connecting with her father in any way would be like betraying her mother.

It made Chloe really happy to hear Beca reveal things about herself that were private and while some were silly, like their mutual crushes on Aubrey and past relationships, it felt like they made a deep connection with each other. It broke Chloe's heart to hear Beca talk about her father, but she also felt good knowing that the girl wasn't keeping it inside and was allowing herself to connect with someone that felt the same things that she did.

Eventually they reached their hotel in downtown Baltimore and had to sit in the car for a few minutes to finish listening and singing along to _Somebody To Love _by Queen. When Chloe left the car after serenading Beca with Freddie Mercury, Beca stared off at her and felt a longing in her heart to follow her. She was finally starting to feel herself open up and she didn't want the drive to end. She could have easily spent the rest of the night in that car with Chloe, just talking and enjoying each other, and never getting bored. She was in pretty deep and was feeling things that she never thought were possible.

Chloe returned with their room key several minutes later and stared at Beca for a few moments, taken aback by the look of sadness on her face. Chloe took Beca's hands in hers and softly said "What's wrong? Why do you look so sad? Do you want to go somewhere else to stay?'

Beca shook her head as tears filled her eyes and said "No, I just missed you. I…let's not go out once we get unpacked. I don't care about being a tourist and seeing this city. I just want to get room service and lay in bed with you. Okay?"

Chloe nodded gently and said "Sure, but it'll have to be a pizza because I'm pretty sure that Holiday Inns don't have room service." As she put the car into drive and started to drive to a parking space, she looked over at Beca with a smile on her face and said "I can't believe that you missed me. That's really sweet, Beca. It looks like I'm wearing off on you."

Beca just shook her head as she felt her face turn red and said "Just shut up and drive. I was trying to be romantic, you idiot."

They parked and unpacked and Chloe ordered a pizza while Beca got into a bathrobe and lounged on the queen bed. Chloe had opted to get a room with one bed instead of two singles, forcing them to sleep together again. Beca appreciated the thought and once Chloe finished placing the order, motioned for the older girl to join her on the bed. For the rest of the night they talked and watched TV and ate, never once leaving the bed except to use the bathroom and to get ice down the hallway from the machine.

After a while, Beca fell asleep and Chloe got up to get a shower so they wouldn't be rushed in the morning. They had a long day of sightseeing ahead of them in New York tomorrow and Chloe just wanted things to go smoothly and to be as perfect as they were today. When she eventually returned to the bed and turned the lights off, she was surprised to feel Beca's arms wrap around her body and the girl's body to melt into hers. Chloe laughed softly and said "I thought you were sleeping."

Beca kissed the back of Chloe's neck and said "I can't sleep without you now, I'm addicted. Do you see what you've done to me, Ms. Beale? I think you broke me."

Chloe felt Beca's warm breath on her bare shoulders as she yawned deeply and quietly murmured "Me too. Never let me go, okay?"

Chloe never got the answer to her question as she slipped off to sleep within moments. If she had been able to stay awake, she would have felt warm tears on her back and the shuddering breaths coming from her girlfriend. Beca clutched at Chloe tightly as sobs shook her body and she tried to keep breathing. Chloe's words had stunned her and rocked her world completely. As the tears continued, she slowly realized that she never wanted to let Chloe go, not now or ever. This was the first thing that felt real to her in a long time and she felt so completely alive holding her girlfriend that the only thing she could do was cry. As Beca slowly calmed down and fell asleep, she finally understood exactly what she was feeling. She was completely and utterly in love with Chloe and too terrified to do anything about it. What the hell had Chloe done to her?

* * *

**Day Three: New York City**

The next day the girls arrived in New York City at noon and planned to stay out all day, walking around and seeing as much as possible. They both had certain things that they wanted to do and experience, but there was no set itinerary and they would just try to fit in whatever they could. They had been in the city the month before for ICCAs, but spent most of their time at the hotel rehearsing and resting up for their performance. When they got finished performing, they celebrated briefly at a small pub close to Lincoln Center and then went back to their hotel since they had a long drive back to Georgia the next day. Chloe had been to the city numerous times, but Beca had never been and was really disappointed when Aubrey forbid her from leaving the hotel when they were there. This time was different though and Chloe was open to anything.

The first thing they did was head to Central Park because it was still relatively cool out and they could stay out longer without getting uncomfortable. Beca was in awe at just how big the park was and couldn't believe how small the TV had made it seem. Chloe didn't get overwhelmed though and deftly guided her to her favorite spot in the park, the Alice in Wonderland statue. Chloe explained to Beca that this was her favorite book as a little kid and when she first visited the park with her mother when she was six, she wanted to sit underneath the toadstool and never leave. Chloe seemed to grow sad at the memory and they stayed there for a little while; Chloe just staring at it while Beca held her tightly. Neither of them said much and after fifteen minutes, Chloe led Beca to an area that she knew she would love.

Beca loved the Beatles and had a bunch of their albums on vinyl, a birthday present from her father when she turned eighteen. They had been his when he was younger and he wanted to start her collection out right and passed them on to her, along with her first record player. It had been one of the few presents from him that came with a meaning and she cherished it. She listened to them constantly, memorizing the music and lyrics until she could practically recite each album. She had left them at home when she went off to college so they didn't get damaged in the move and longed for their comfort sometimes at night when she had trouble getting to sleep. Beca tightened her grip on Chloe's hand as they entered Strawberry Fields and stood at the small Imagine monument, gazing down at it silently as thoughts and feelings flooded through them. Beca's were firmly entrenched in the present while Chloe thought of the future, both of them imagining just where their relationship would go.

They then took a small break in Shakespeare Garden, which Beca thought was absolutely gorgeous, and then headed off to the carousel. Beca wasn't too keen on riding it, but Chloe insisted that it was a tradition and that they had to do it. Beca paid for their tickets and they rode on horses next to each other; Chloe laughing like a child as they went in circles and Beca trying not to show that she was really enjoying herself.

By the time they finished up in the park, it was mid-afternoon and they stopped at a street cart for lunch before heading to the Met. Chloe loved the show Gossip Girl and was dying to sit on the steps with Beca, just like Blair and Serena would do. Beca had never watched the show and didn't understand why anyone would want to eat lunch on the steps, but humored Chloe and posed for a picture with her that a weary security guard snapped for them. Evidently this was something he assisted in often and didn't seem fazed when Chloe anxiously brought it up to him.

Beca had never been in a subway before and Chloe knew of just the place to take her. They could have easily caught one at one of the many stations scattered through the city, but Chloe wanted it to be special and they walked for what seemed like hours until they reached Grand Central Terminal. Beca seemed in awe of the huge building and tried to take in every detail when they entered. She had seen it a bunch of times in movies and in one of her mother's coffee table books, but seeing it in person was different. Chloe paid for their tickets and they rode the subway to Brooklyn, where they departed and looked around for a little bit before eating dinner at a small restaurant.

They then rode it back to midtown and departed at the Times Square station, which was the one thing that Beca was desperate to see. Chloe had been here too many times to count and didn't really like how crowded and rushed it felt, but melted when she saw the look on Beca's face as they stepped out of the dark stairwell of the subway and into the blinding lights of the billboards and buildings. Beca couldn't stop herself from looking up and they stood that way for a little while, just taking in as much as they could and holding each other close. They walked around for a little bit, stopping in a few shops along the way and buying some souvenirs, but Beca seemed to grow uneasy as it grew dark out and suggested that they head back to their hotel. Chloe agreed and hailed a taxi that took them back to their hotel in Manhattan.

It had been ridiculously expensive, but Chloe insisted that they stay at the Plaza Hotel. Home Alone was one of the few movies that Beca actually liked and Chloe wanted her to stay at Kevin McAllister's hotel of choice. She had even humored Beca when the first arrived and used her messed up vocal chords to mimic the sound that Kevin's Talkboy made when he called in his reservation. Chloe had never seen someone laugh as hard as Beca did when she did the impression and shoved her playfully before collapsing in a fit of giggles with her on the bed.

The room somehow looked different than it did when they left in the morning, but Beca just chalked it up to being tired. She didn't want to admit to herself that the real reason it looked different was because they were different now. The sightseeing trip had brought them closer together and Beca was in awe of how easy Chloe made things. She had tried her hardest to make Beca's day perfect and to fit in everything that she wished to see, never complaining about being bored or her feet hurting after walking for miles. Beca didn't know how to thank her and instead gave Chloe a tight hug that lasted for five minutes before Beca tried to lead them to the bed. Chloe stopped her and softly said "No way. We're not cuddling tonight. I have a surprise for you."

Beca looked at Chloe questioningly and smiled when Chloe placed a pair of tickets into her hand. Chloe smiled at Beca and said "I'm taking you to a club opening. There's this new club called Blur opening up and there's a few DJs that are going to be playing that my source told me are pretty good."

Beca laughed and said "You have sources now? Wow! Can you tell me who your source was? Was she pretty?"

Chloe bit her lip to hold back her own laughter and said "_She_ is actually my cousin Steven and he's okay looking, but not your type. He's a bouncer at the club and got me these passes. It was too short notice for VIP ones, but these should be good enough. You've never been to a club before and if you want to play them one day, you should probably know what it's like to be a guest. Now, get dressed in something comfy because I plan on dancing with you all night long."

Beca kissed Chloe's cheek in thanks and went to dig through her suitcase for the perfect clubbing outfit. She settled on some tight black jeans and a form fitting red dress shirt that she paired with a pair of flats. She stood anxiously in the room waiting for Chloe to get dressed and almost fell over as she watched Chloe step out of the bathroom. She was in a tight black strapless dress and her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Beca had never seen her like this and took a deep breath before saying "You look so beautiful right now. I must look like a slob compared to you."

Chloe rolled her eyes and said "It's just a dress and you look great too. Come on, our taxi should be ready downstairs. It's just a few blocks away, but I didn't want to walk it in these heels."

She wrapped her arm around Beca's back and took the elevator down to the lobby, departing the hotel and entering their waiting taxi. The ride only took ten minutes and when they arrived at the club, it looked like the party was kicking into gear. The roped off line of people waiting to get in stretched around the corner and Chloe talked to the doorman who then said something into his radio. After a minute, a hulking young man came outside and lifted Chloe off of her feet in a huge hug. Chloe introduced him as her cousin to Beca and slipped something into his hand before following him inside of the club.

The place was packed with people and combined with the pounding music, they could barely move or think. Chloe spotted an open spot in a corner of the dance floor and grabbed Beca's hand, pulling her over to it and then spinning her around so they faced each other. Beca grinned as Chloe started to dance in time to the music and moved a little closer, allowing herself to relax and move to the waves of sound that shook her entire body. They danced like this for an hour, enjoying the great set that the young DJ on the stage had put together. Beca was enviable of a few of his mixes and picked up on some of his techniques, hoping to apply them later to her mixes when they got back to the hotel.

By the time his set was over, they were both sweating and exhausted and Chloe handed Beca her credit card and asked if she could go and grab them some drinks. Beca agreed to and went over to the bar, ordering them both something non-alcoholic since she wasn't 21 yet and didn't want to risk getting thrown out if the bartender asked to see ID.

It was a little quieter when she returned to the dance floor and handed Chloe her glass of Coke, which she sipped thirstily before thanking Beca. Beca just smiled and said "I'm sorry there's no alcohol in it. I just didn't want to get carded and thrown out. Is it okay?"

Chloe nodded and said "It's great, thank you. So, I have another surprise for you and I don't want you to hate me when it happens. I know this is probably something that you wanted to accomplish on your own, but you're never going to get this opportunity again."

Beca raised an eyebrow and said "What the hell are you talking about? What did you do?!"

Chloe simply shushed her and motioned up at the DJ booth, where one of the regulars was playing mood music between sets. The DJ in the booth gave her a thumbs up and the unmistakable sound of _Hypnotize_ by The Notorious B.I.G. filled the club. People started to spill onto the dance floor again and Beca's mouth dropped open as _Rock Your Body_ by Justin Timberlake and _Flashing Lights_ by Kanye West were sampled into the track, morphing together into a perfect blend of sex and glamour. The dance floor began to fill with people dancing along to the song and Beca just looked up at Chloe with wide eyes. This was one of **her** mixes and it was playing in a club. Correction, it was playing in _the_ hottest new club in the city and people were going crazy for it.

Beca could hardly contain her excitement and threw her arms around Chloe, holding her tightly as she tried not to cry in front of hundreds of people. This was the moment that she had always waited for and Chloe had made it happen. She was overwhelmed and shaking and clung to her girlfriend, just wanting to enjoy the moment in her comforting arms. After four minutes the song ended and the DJ in the booth got on the microphone and said "That was DJ Beca Mitchell straight out of Hotlanta. She's in the club tonight, so let her hear some noise."

The crowd erupted into cheers and Chloe helped her stand on a bar stool so everyone could see her and she could thank them. Beca's face broke open with a wide grin as she waved at the applauding crowd and once it died down, she got down from the chair and grabbed Chloe's hand before dragging her out of the club and into the cold night air. By this point tears were rolling down her cheeks and she looked up at Chloe's fiercely proud face and almost broke down completely.

Chloe wiped Beca's moist cheeks off and said "Are you mad? From what I saw in there, you can make one hell of a song. That was so amazing to see them dance like that to something that you made for me. You're going to be huge one day, I just know it!"

Beca choked back a sob and said "Thank you. I've dreamt about that since I got my DJ stuff, maybe even longer. How did you get them to play it?"

Chloe shrugged and said "I slipped it to my cousin, along with a couple hundred bucks. The DJ that played first wasn't too pleased about your mix because it was so much better than anything he played tonight, so he needed a little bribe before he let my cousin get in the booth. It was worth it though."

Beca stared up at Chloe with admiration in her eyes and said "Thank you for all of this. For this trip and taking me around the city and for tonight. No one has ever done anything like this for me before and I just…I love you. With every part of my heart and my body and everything in me, I love you. Thank you-"

Before she could continue any further, Chloe shoved her up against the wall of the club and kissed her deeply, with an intensity that Beca had never felt before. It was wet and messy and tearful and so perfect that Beca never wanted it to end. This love thing was pretty great after all.


	4. Blood Bank

**Chapter Four: Blood Bank**

The summer seemed to slip by Beca and Chloe in the blink of an eye. The four months that they spent together were the best span of either of the girls' lives and both girls dreaded the inevitable drive back to Duluth and the restart of their lives. They had become closer than either had thought was possible and were completely in love, to the point where they did everything together and were starting to complete each other's sentences.

The summer had been a very full one and Chloe tried to cram as much in as possible. They took trips to Boston and went back to New York, this time seeing all of Chloe's favorite things. They had dinner every week with Chloe's grandparents and Beca found herself instantly embraced and loved by the pair. She was even allowed to borrow Chloe's grandfather's vintage Jeep so she could teach Chloe how to drive a stick shift, but didn't have to do the apologizing when Chloe slipped the car into reverse by mistake and backed it into a tree.

They hung out at the beach every day and Chloe had even convinced Beca to join her on hikes up the coast. She taught Beca how to cook a meal that wasn't out of a can or frozen and was overjoyed when Beca turned out to be a natural and surprised her with a feast one day when she returned from town. In return, Beca taught Chloe how to use her DJ equipment and was full of pride when Chloe created her first mix. Chloe surprised her with it one afternoon when she was taking the garbage out and came back in to hear the music playing in the empty house. She went to their bedroom to find Chloe dancing along to it and joined her, placing her hands on Chloe's hips and moving with her in time to the music. Her jaw nearly dropped when Chloe admitted that she had created it and she even felt a little jealous at how good Chloe was for a beginner.

They had spent afternoons out on the small boat that Chloe was surprisingly good at driving and Beca even tried her hand at fishing, but didn't enjoy the idea of causing pain to something that they were just going to throw back. Their evenings were spent on the back deck, watching sunsets and sitting at the small fire pit to keep warm. Their mornings were spent cuddling in bed, talking and reading one of the hundreds of books that filled the house.

While they were busy every day, both girls were also productive. Beca created over fifty new mixes and was finding inspiration every day. Chloe had started to paint again and would sometimes spend hours in front of her easel, getting her lines and colors perfect on each painting. Beca loved everything that she created and wanted to keep them all, but Chloe didn't have a real attachment to them and managed to sell a few down at the market in town.

They both sang constantly as well and Beca tried her hand at songwriting, but failed miserably. She was far better at manipulating the words of others than putting her soul on paper. Chloe loved to write though and some nights they sat at the piano in the den and Chloe would sing her words while Beca made up a song. Both girls could play the piano, but Chloe loved the intense look Beca would get on her face while concentrating on the keys and would let her provide their music just so she could see it.

Not every moment of the summer was perfect though and while they shared a lot of firsts with each other, the one that both of them had been dreading came a week into their vacation. Before her parent's divorce, Beca's parents fought constantly and the thought of arguing with Chloe made her stomach ache. She couldn't stop herself though from yelling at her girlfriend though and would regret that moment for the rest of the summer.

* * *

Beca had just finished taking a shower and was drying her hair off with a towel when she heard a faint murmuring coming from the attached bedroom. She quickly dried off her body and wrapped the towel around herself, before slipping out of the bathroom and standing in the bedroom to hear the conversation.

Chloe was holding Beca's cell phone up to her ear and Beca frowned when Chloe softly said "No, Dr. Mitchell. I had no idea that she hasn't called you. We've been here for a week and she never said anything, so I just assumed that she did. She's in the shower right now; do you want to call back? I'll tell her to call you then. Dr. Mitchell, I'm sorry if she worried you and I just want you to know that we're here and she's safe and I'm not going to let anything happen to her. I understand. Okay, bye."

Chloe hung up the phone and quietly slipped it into Beca's bag before sinking on the edge of the bed with her head resting in her hands. Beca cleared her throat and waited for Chloe to turn around before she said "What the hell, Chloe?! Since when do you answer **my** phone and talk to **my** father? That's none of your business and should have just let it ring."

Chloe jumped to her feet and said "I'm sorry for touching your phone Beca, but I saw his name on the screen and got worried. You knew how anxious he was about letting you come on this trip with me and I thought that you would at least have the decency to tell him that you got here safely."

Beca rolled her eyes and said "I don't need you to take care of me! I have a mother and I'm sick of you babying me and trying to make me do stuff that I don't want to do. If you're not happy with me and the decisions that I make, then maybe I should just leave. I thought you were different than Jesse, but you're both the same. You've been trying to change me since we pulled out of my driveway."

Tears filled Chloe's eyes and she looked down at her feet, trying to compose herself before she said something that she would regret. Finally, she looked up at Beca and said "I can't believe you would say that to me. I'm not trying to change you…I would never do that. I don't force you to do things either. I ask you to do stuff with me because I love you and want to be with you, but I'm never going to make you do something that you don't want to do. I'm sorry if pushing you to talk to me and actually open up is so offensive to you, but I can't carry this relationship by myself Beca!"

Chloe now had tears rolling down her face and Beca knew that she had hurt her, but couldn't stop herself. It was like something had snapped inside of her and she had to keep going until she was able to control it. She crossed the room and grabbed her phone out of her bag, staring down at it for a moment before throwing it out into the hallway with a loud thump. She then turned to Chloe with shaking hands and said "I don't want you talking to my father. He could have easily called me any time to check in, but waited a whole week. I could have been dead by now or missing, but he was probably too distracted with Sheila to care. Why should I have called him, Chloe?! He gave up on me and I don't want anything to do with him."

Chloe wiped her face off and walked over to the door of their bedroom, wanting to keep her distance from her emotional girlfriend. She looked down at the shattered screen of the phone and softly said "You don't want me to treat you like a child, but you act like it sometimes. Not calling him was childish. You knew he was worried and you shut him out. I know that he did a number on you with the divorce and everything, but he also tried really hard this past year to make things better with you. He let us stay at his house and gave you money and he cared enough to be concerned. You **owed** him a phone call."

Beca could see that Chloe looked a little frightened at her emotional outburst and tried to calm herself down, sinking onto the bed and taking a few deep breaths. She closed her eyes for a few moments to calm down and when she looked back up, Chloe had left the room. Beca didn't bother going after her, knowing that she needed some time by herself to cool down, and got dressed in silence. Once she was clothed, she went out into the hallway and found her phone sitting where it had landed, with the screen completely shattered and unusable. She groaned as she picked it up and went out to the living area, grabbing her wallet and Chloe's car keys before taking the car into the city to get her phone replaced.

When she returned to the house a few hours later, she was surprised to find it completely dark and worried that Chloe had left. She ran into the house and froze in the doorway when she heard soft music playing. As she walked further into the house, she recognized the music as being Bon Iver and knew that it was bad. This was Chloe's crying music and if was listening to this, then Beca had really done a number on her heart. She found Chloe laying on their bed with tears running down her face and watched her from the doorway, unable to think of anything that would make this situation better.

After a few minutes she approached the bed and sat next to Chloe, calming when she didn't move away from her or leave the room. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her new phone, showing it to Chloe who smiled slightly. Beca sighed and said "I had to go to town to get a new one and of course I didn't have an upgrade, so I just blew a ton of money. I should have never thrown it though and I'm really sorry that I lost my temper. I know it scared you and I'm sorry that it happened. I'm also sorry for what I said. I didn't mean it and I know that you care about me and just want what's best for me. Do you forgive me?"

Chloe nodded and with a raspy voice said "Of course. I'm sorry too. I know that I try to control you sometimes and I guess it's just because I feel really protective of you. I know that he broke you when he left you and your mom and that's something that can never be repaired. I just…I don't know what to do for you to make it better. I think part of me answered that phone because I wanted to talk to him and understand why you don't want him in your life. It was stupid though, because what he did was personal and I can never understand how you feel because it didn't happen to me. Just like you'll never know how I truly feel about my dad either. I'm sorry for questioning your decision and calling you out on it. I should have just minded my own business."

Beca wiped Chloe's face off with the back of her hands and said "Hey, it's okay. I like that you protect me and care enough about me to do it. You were right; I should have called my dad and told him that we got here. I guess I just wanted to hurt him…like he hurt me when he left. I don't want to make my issues with my dad your issues too because it's not fair to you. I'm going to call him and talk to him and try to make things right."

Chloe nodded and put her head on Beca's shoulder, leaning in close to her and closing her eyes as they both relaxed a little. Beca ran her hands through Chloe's hair gently and softly said "So, Bon Iver? I didn't realize that I upset you this much. You know I love you, right?"

Chloe smiled and said "I know and I love you too. I don't really want to talk right now, okay? Could you just hold me for a while? This whole thing has me thinking about my dad and I just…I think I just need to cry for a while."

Beca bit her lip as tears filled her eyes and nodded gently before wrapping her arms around Chloe's body and pulling her close. She had never seen Chloe this vulnerable before and felt terrible, knowing that she had started this with her temper. She kissed the top of Chloe's head occasionally as she felt the girl tremble under her arms and wished that she could do something to make this better, but knew that Chloe just needed to let everything out.

After fifteen minutes Chloe seemed to have calmed and Beca wanted to say something, but froze when a new song started and Chloe's body stiffened. _Blood Bank _started to play and Beca knew that this was Chloe's favorite song ever. She played this every night to get to sleep and always seemed to get a little teary when it came on. She tightened her grip slightly on Chloe's body and could feel Chloe start to sob into her chest. Her whole body was trembling and Beca couldn't stop her own tears from rolling down her face.

After a minute, Beca couldn't take it anymore and pulled herself into a sitting position so she could see Chloe's face. She pulled the bigger girl onto her lap with some effort and felt Chloe cling to her like a child upset from a nightmare. She kissed Chloe's cheek and softly said "I've got you, it's okay. I'm not leaving you again. Please don't cry."

Chloe whimpered at Beca's words and softly said "My dad hasn't called me in months. I'm his flesh and blood and he wants nothing to do with me. When I saw your dad calling, I got jealous and that was part of the reason that I answered it. You think that you have it bad, but at least your dad still loves you and cares about you. Why doesn't he love me, Beca? Am I that terrible of a person?"

Beca gasped softly and took Chloe's face in her hands, staring into her tear flooded eyes and saying "No, don't ever say that. You're so perfect and he's missing out on something great by not being in your life. Don't ever blame yourself, Chlo. He's the one at fault, not you. Please don't cry, Chloe. I can't see you like this."

Chloe only sobbed louder and buried her face back in Beca's chest, her heart truly broken and beyond repair. Beca's tears were falling onto Chloe's hair and she softly said "I love you Chloe. Your mom and step-dad love you and so do Aubrey and the other Bellas. You have so many people that love you and care about you. Just forget about your dad, he's not worth it. Parents should choose their kids in a divorce, not themselves. He chose himself and he's not worth your time or attention. I know it hurts, but you deserve better than him. It's going to be okay, I promise."

Chloe didn't say anything to Beca and instead cried until the song ended and for a little while afterwards until she eventually fell asleep in Beca's arms. Beca didn't have the heart to move her and instead stared down at the girl in her arms, wondering how someone so perfect had fallen in love with her. She felt terrible for hurting Chloe and vowed to be better. She couldn't see Chloe like this again and promised silently to never hurt her. Her heart couldn't take it.

* * *

Things had been better since that night, but that wasn't the last time that Beca had to face her actions from that day. In mid-June Aubrey came up to visit them when she had a break between sessions of summer classes and had been told about their fight from Chloe the night that it had happened. Aubrey had been civil to Beca as they ate dinner the first night that she had arrived, but after supper when Chloe slipped away to make a phone call Aubrey followed Beca out onto the back deck. Beca jumped when she saw the blonde standing in the doorway and instantly knew from the look on her face that she wanted to talk.

Beca sank onto a chair and softly said "Hey, Aubrey. How have summer classes been? How do you like grad school?"

Aubrey sat across from her with a heavy sigh and said "Don't try to distract me, Beca. We already talked about this at dinner and I know you're not a fan of small talk, so don't try to use it on me. Did you hurt Chloe? Last month I got a phone call from her and she was crushed over something that you did. Apparently you threw something and were yelling at her. If you ever lay a hand on her, I'll-"

Before she could finish, Beca cut her off and said "I would never touch her! We just had a fight and I know that I fucked up, okay? Is that why you came out here? I can assure you that I've apologized hundreds of times for it and she forgave me. I love her Aubrey and it kills me to know how much I hurt her that night. I regret it every day and wish I could take it back, but I can't."

Aubrey calmed a little at Beca's emotional words and softly said "No, I came out here to see both of you. Well, mostly Chloe, but I guess I wanted to see you too."

Beca rolled her eyes and Aubrey laughed a little before saying "I know that you love her and she loves you too. She's my best friend, Beca, and I don't want to see anything happen to her. I'm sorry that I jumped on you as soon as I came out here, but I love her and I just want her to be happy. I know you would never do anything to hurt her, but I guess I just wanted to give you a hard time about it. How has your summer been?"

Beca smiled and said "It's been the best thing that's ever happened to me. It's so beautiful up here and I don't want this to ever end. I feel so much more productive here and like I'm actually enjoying life instead of going through the motions. She's making me a better person, Aubrey. She makes me feel like I can be so much better than I am and do things that I've only dreamt about. Sometimes I get scared because I don't want to lose that. I like who I am when she's around and I don't want this summer to end."

Aubrey smiled sadly and said "Chloe has that effect on people. She has this way of forcing the best out of people and I hope she never loses it. It's not going to change when you come back to Georgia, Beca. It doesn't matter that you're a thousand miles from home and in a new place. This would have happened if you two spent the summer back in Georgia or at her house in Florida or at yours in Seattle. This is just the background; the important thing is you and Chloe. As long as you have her, you can be whatever kind of person you want to be. She's not going to leave or give up on you when you come back; it's just going to be different. You won't see her every day, but she'll still be there for you."

Beca looked down at her feet and softly said "Why are you being so nice to me? I know that you don't like me and you probably hate that I'm dating your best friend. I know she can do better than me and that I'm lucky to have her. I was actually expecting you to come out here and threaten to kill me if I hurt her. Chloe told me about the conversation you like to have with any of her new boyfriends and I was expecting to get it from you."

Aubrey just shook her head and said "They all have big mouths. I'll admit that I've threatened a few guys in the past, but it's just because I don't want her to get hurt. You know how things are with her dad and I can't stand the thought of someone breaking her heart any further after what her father did. I'm not going to give you the speech, because I know you won't hurt her. You both love each other and if you did hurt her, there's nothing I could do that would make you feel worse. I do care about you Beca and I don't hate you. I was just really stressed out last year and trying so hard to make up for my mistake during my junior year. I don't think I had any fun at all last year and that's not how your senior year should be. I just didn't want to disappoint myself and Chloe and the rest of you girls. Things will be different for you this year and I think you'll have a great time with the Bellas. I also think you'll have a lot of fun with Chloe and you're welcome over at our apartment any time that you want. Okay?"

Beca nodded and softly said "Yeah, it means a lot to hear that from you. Aubrey…the night of our fight Chloe started thinking about her dad and she was hysterical. I've never seen anyone cry that hard and I held her for so long until she calmed down. Have you ever met him before or know anything about him?"

Aubrey swallowed the lump in her throat and said "No, I never met him. He lives in Atlanta and in four years, he was only home once. He couldn't even be bothered to help her move into her dorm during our freshman year. She was staying at his house and he was home, but was too busy with work to help her get settled. My mom and dad were helping me and all of a sudden this girl just showed up with fire red hair and the saddest look on her face. My dad's not that great at reading people and showing emotions, but he even realized that something was wrong and helped her carry all of her stuff into our dorm room and get her settled. I can't even talk about what he did to her during her sophomore year because it gets me so angry. He's just…he's a terrible father and she just wants him to love her and show her some attention, but it's never going to happen. I know that she understands that and doesn't get that disappointed anymore, but it still crushes her. Please don't repeat this conversation to her, okay?"

Beca nodded with teary eyes and frowned when she saw Aubrey wipe her own away. Beca watched her for a moment as she gathered herself together and then stood up, crossing the small distance between them and giving Aubrey a hug. They stood that way for a little while until they heard the sliding glass door open and Chloe step onto the porch.

Chloe couldn't hide her smile and said "Aw, this is so cute! You're finally getting along! Come on inside guys, I want to show Aubrey the mix that I made."

Aubrey let go of Beca and grabbed Chloe's hand, following her into the house and down the hallway to the office that had become Beca's recording studio. Beca was content to just watch them walk away, needing some time to herself. She had thought all along that she was the broken one, but now she wasn't alone and she had to be better for Chloe.

* * *

From that moment on, Beca focused on opening herself up and experiencing everything that was available to her. She did things that she never imagined herself doing and learned to take herself a little less seriously, laughing at her mistakes and embracing the beautiful quirks that life held. As long as she had Chloe by her side to laugh with her, everything would be okay. They would be okay.


	5. Summer Is Over

**A/N: So this was awkward to write and a little difficult to keep from crossing into smut territory, but I didn't want to have to rate this M. Thanks for all of your reviews, it means a lot to see that you enjoy it and it motivates me to keep writing this.**

**Chapter Five: Summer Is Over**

It was the last day of their summer vacation and both girls were trying desperately to make it last forever, cramming in as many of their favorite activities as possible and just trying to create lasting memories.

Chloe had planned the perfect day for them and Beca appreciated the thought that had gone into it. The morning was spent finishing the last of the novels that Chloe had stolen from her grandfather's office, followed by a walk on the beach in the cool morning air. When they came back to the house, Chloe prepared them a large lunch and they sat and talked for a while as they ate the delicious meal. The afternoon was spent out on the boat and once Chloe piloted the small vessel to the perfect spot, they listened to music and basked in the sun until the rays burnt their skin and sent them back to the house.

Once they docked the boat for the last time, they went inside and had some time to themselves. Beca tried to work on a new mix but suddenly had a lack of inspiration. All summer long she had come up with new ideas everyday and never struggled like she was right now. No songs seemed to fit how she was feeling and as she shut her laptop, she heard piano music start to fill the air. She slid her Mac into its' case and ventured out to the living room, where Chloe was sitting at the piano with her eyes closed, slowly tapping out a song.

Beca sunk onto the bench next to her and listened as Chloe deftly moved her fingers along the keys and played the saddest melody that Beca had ever heard. Chloe was surprising herself as the tune seemed to create itself, but didn't stop until the tears in her eyes became too much and she needed to wipe them.

She looked around for a tissue or a towel to wipe her face off with, but smiled gently when she saw Beca offering her the sleeve of her t-shirt. Chloe dabbed her eyes with it and softly said "I must look like such a baby. Why aren't you working on your music? I'm sorry if my playing bugged you, but I just couldn't paint anything today."

Beca stroked Chloe's hair and said "Yeah, I'm feeling the same way. I tried to sit down and make something happen, but I have nothing. I'm really going to miss this place. The whole summer I had tons of ideas, but now that it's over I can't seem to come up with anything. What are we going to do without this?"

Chloe just shrugged and said "It's just a house on a beach. Those ideas came from inside of you and I highly doubt that they're going to stop just because you're not waking up to something beautiful every day. I think we're both just a little sad that this is ending and that's okay. Nothing lasts forever and we'll just create new memories at home. Now, I heard that you were going to make us dinner. Do you have any grand plans for that? I caught you with my grandmother's cook book and I hope you got to the pasta section, because I'm dying for some carbs!"

Beca kissed her cheek and pulled her off of the bench and into a tight hug. She didn't feel nearly as bad now that Chloe had cheered up slightly and said "Your wish is my command. I'm making us fettuccini alfredo, which a little bird named Aubrey told me was your absolute favorite. Will you help me make it?"

Chloe nodded at the tenderness in Beca's voice and linked arms with the smaller girl, walking with her to the kitchen where they prepared their meal and only broke out into one minor food fight along the way.

* * *

After they ate, Chloe proposed that they go for ice cream and drove them ten minutes away to a small ice cream shop on the outskirts of town. They had passed a Dairy Queen on the way and Beca tried to stop her so she could get a Blizzard, but Chloe was hearing none of it. This was where her grandparents would take her when she was little and it was special and better than any old chain.

Once they stopped and got their ice cream, a chocolate cone for Beca and a vanilla cone covered in sprinkles for Chloe, they got back in the car and drove back into town so they could eat at the pier. They had come down here often at night to watch the ocean and to try to see dolphins and it was a mutual favorite location. If they had to have one last night here, Beca was happy to spend it in this spot.

They held hands and walked up and down the pier, not saying much as their cones began to shrink. Finally, Beca broke the silence and softly said "I'm afraid of going back to Georgia. What if you get so busy with school and work that we never see each other? What if the Bellas stress me out and I'm just as miserable as Aubrey was last year? What if we can't make this work outside of here? I don't want to lose you."

Chloe sighed and softly said "You're not going to lose me, Bec. You have my heart and I don't want it back. We'll make it work, I promise. The first two years of medical school are all in the classroom, so it's not like I'm going to be spending twelve hour shifts up at the hospital. The courses will be harden than they were at Barden and balancing work with it will probably suck, but we'll still see each other all the time. I have a car and the bus runs between Duluth and the city, so we'll be okay. If that isn't enough, there's always Skype and phone calls. I can't promise you anything about the Bellas, but I think that'll be okay too. The other girls are going to keep you in check and you're all comfortable with each other, so it'll be fun from the start. Don't be scared, Beca. Be excited that we get to go home and share our relationship with our friends. It's going to be okay."

Beca sniffled lightly, fighting back tears as she continued to have her own pity party, and said "How can I sleep without having you next to me in the bed, sprawled out all over me and snoring in my ear? How can I wake up in the morning without seeing you as soon as I open my eyes? It's going to be so weird to have a life where you're not in it every day."

Chloe stroked the small of Beca's back soothingly and said "I know, it's going to be hard for me too. I love Aubrey and everything, but she can't replace you as a roommate. Heck, this whole arrangement was like we were practically married. You play the domestic partner role pretty well."

Beca smirked and said "I know and I hate you for bringing out that side of me. I hope the other girls don't find out about it or I'll never get my bad-ass street cred back. Okay, I have one last scenario for you and then I'm done whining about it. What if you find someone new at this fancy school of yours and fall in love with her? Someone better than me...smarter and prettier and not as lazy. What will happen then?"

Chloe just rolled her eyes and said "That's impossible. There's no one smarter or prettier or lazier than you in the world. I love you and I want to be with you and that's enough. We're going to make this work and I know it'll be hard, but we'll be okay. I have faith and maybe you should too. Now, can we just enjoy this sunset without any more of these awful questions? You're breaking my heart and I just want to hold your hand and watch the stars."

Beca nodded and slipped her hand into Chloe's, linking their fingers together and walking along the pier as the sky started to darken and the sun slowly started to slip into the horizon. After a few minutes, Chloe looked over at Beca and smiled when she saw the some of her ice cream had gotten on her cheek, leaving a dark streak against her pale white skin.

Beca noticed the redhead staring at her and froze as Chloe closed the small distance between them with a sly smile on her face. Beca raised an eyebrow and softly said "What are you stopping for? You look like you want to jump me."

Chloe slipped her finger over Beca's mouth and softly said "I always want to jump you. Just relax."

Beca nodded and watched as Chloe leaned in for a kiss but instead stuck her tongue out and slowly licked the ice cream off of her face. Beca couldn't stop herself and let out a strangled whimper at how good it felt. She had never been licked before, but it was warm and soft and so strangely…erotic. Beca could feel Chloe replace her tongue with her lips and closed her eyes as the redhead planted kisses across her jaw line, making a pathway to her ear. She groaned again when she felt warm breath on her earlobe and heard Chloe murmur "I think we should have sex."

* * *

For two people that had exchanged "I love yous" in the first week of their relationship, their sex life was largely non-existent. It was no secret that Beca was a virgin and Chloe didn't want to ruin her first time with some rushed fling. Sure there had been sensual moments over the summer, but they always stopped as soon as things got too hot and heavy.

There had been long make-out sessions that last for hours and led to cold showers for both girls. The times that they both wanted to get dressed at the same time and ended up changing in front of each other, the lingering looks that were shared being a non-secret. Beca knew that Chloe had been sexual before they started dating and was frustrated by taking things slower, but appreciated that Chloe cared enough to take their time. Still, she never imagined that it would take four months to get to this point.

Maybe the sex part became an afterthought as they focused more on making memories and just enjoying each other's company. By the time that June rolled around, Beca didn't even think about what they _weren't _doing as seeing each other in compromising situations became normal. It wasn't strange to her now to share her shower with her girlfriend or to go skinny-dipping with her in the pool at night. She didn't even ogle Chloe's body as much as she used to because it was second nature now. Chloe was confident with herself and that oozed off onto her, making her not even think as she would shed her clothing and hop into bed with Chloe at night. It was comfortable and tender and enough for a time.

By July however, Beca was more than ready for some kind of physical connection between herself and Chloe, but wasn't sure how to bring it up. Chloe felt even more strained and it was showing in how she kissed Beca. Gone were the tender pecks from the beginning of summer and now were kisses that took Beca's breathe away. A normal good morning kiss led to dueling tongues and frustrated bodies once they eventually tore away from each other.

It all culminated in a surprising scene two weeks ago when Beca went to run into town for groceries, but left the car keys in the house. When she came back in to retrieve them, she could hear the familiar sounds of _Titanium_ pounding through the house and followed them to the bedroom, where she found Chloe laying naked on the bed, fully enjoying her "lady jam".

Chloe never opened her eyes and didn't notice that Beca stood there, breathing heavily as she watched her girlfriend desperately bring herself to the edge. It didn't last long and within minutes Beca was back in the car, racing towards town with tears in her eyes and a painful warmth in lower parts of her body. They were both frustrated and ready to make the leap, but too shy to ruin what had been a perfect summer so far. They just needed something to push them over the edge and Beca had hoped that the end of summer would be it. Sometimes, wishes came true.

* * *

**SEX**, the three magical letters that Beca had been waiting to hear for months. The same letters that made her knees wobble and her ice cream cone topple to the ground.

Chloe bit her lip at the reaction, worried that Beca didn't want to and that she had overstepped her boundaries, but her worry was soon cast away when Beca kissed her intensely on her lips. They stood that way for a few moments, Chloe with her back pressed up against the railing of the pier and Beca standing on the tips of her toes to overpower the girl and take the dominant role. She knew that Chloe had been holding back for her sake and now was the time to show her just how ready she was. Chloe pulled away after a little while and slipped her hand into Beca's, threading their fingers together before walking in silence back to their car.

The ride to the beach house was relatively quiet, both girls knowing how awkward things had just become and trying to think about how exactly this would play out and who would initiate things. Chloe pulled the car in front of the garage and they sat there for a minute, neither daring to make the first move.

Finally, Chloe slid her hand across the seat and settled it on Beca's thigh, squeezing it gently and noting Beca's reaction. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes at half mast, enjoying the new sensation of Chloe's fingers gripping her and being so dangerously close to the one spot where she wanted them the most. Chloe slowly moved her fingers up Beca's thigh and froze when she reached their apex; feeling Beca surge forward, grabbing Chloe's hand in hers and squeezing it so tightly that Chloe let out a soft cry. **That **was all the sign that she needed and with a husky voice, Chloe said "Bedroom, now."

She led the girl into the house and to the bedroom, pushing Beca back onto the bed and watching as she crawled backwards up to the pillows. The smaller girl stared up her girlfriend in awe at just how sexy she could be without trying. Her eyes were so dilated that they were almost completely black and her hair was slightly disheveled from their make out session and lay in gorgeous waves on her shoulders. Beca swallowed heavily at the thought, unable to stand the idea of how good it would feel to thread her fingers through that hair when they made love.

Chloe noticed the look of utter bliss on Beca's face and winked before she softly said "Beca, I can see your toner from here. It's distracting."

Beca giggled lightly at the familiar words and tried to force the idea of Aubrey Posen to the furthest corners of her mind. All she wanted to think about was Chloe and it wasn't too difficult to do as the girl started to slowly undress.

Her coat was tossed carelessly to the floor and seconds later, her shoes were kicked off of her feet and out into the hallway. Then came her shirt and jeans and as they pooled to her feet, Beca couldn't believe how gorgeous and confident she looked in her lace bra and panties. A small smile played on her lips as she realized that Chloe was planning this. No one could choose that combination of lingerie and smoky eyeliner without ulterior motives. She didn't care though and took in Chloe's body, wanting to remember this moment for the rest of her life.

Chloe stared at her girlfriend with a grin and a slight blush starting to grow across her cheeks. She liked that Beca was ogling her and wanted to do the same, but there was the slight matter of Beca's attire that needed to be handled first. She raised an eyebrow and said "Someone's overdressed. Come on Beca, all the cool kids are doing it."

The playful and sexy tone to Chloe's voice were all the encouragement that Beca needed and she frantically pulled her boots off, letting them thump loudly to the floor and reuniting them moments later with her socks and her jacket. Next came her shirt and pants and as they slipped through her fingers and to the floor, it suddenly dawned on her that maybe she was a little underdressed. Her plain black bra and boy shorts were drastically unattractive when compared to what Chloe had on and she fidgeted a little, looking for a blanket to pull over her body.

Chloe stepped closer to the bed to stop her and softly said "Don't even think about it. I like what I see and I don't want you to cover up. It suits you and you're so sexy right now. Just watch me, okay?"

Beca nodded and watched intently as Chloe deftly undid the buckles on the back of her bra and slid it slowly off of her shoulders, letting it slink to the floor with a soft thump. It may have been the bra falling or her mouth dropping in awe that caused the sound, she wasn't completely sure of which to go with and both felt right. She had seen the girl naked before but **this** was different and she wanted nothing more than for Chloe to get in bed with her so she could touch and hold her.

Next came her panties and once they fell to the floor, Chloe stood completely bare in front of her girlfriend and just stared at Beca as her chest heaved slightly. She felt awkward just standing around naked in her grandparent's bedroom, but Beca seemed to be enjoying it and let her eyes roam over the redheads' body, memorizing it and taking it all in.

After a moment Beca slipped her own bra off and breathed deeply at the feeling of the cool sheets beneath her bare back. She was surprisingly not nervous and actually felt pretty confident as she watched Chloe stride towards the bed and then crawl across it, splaying out across Beca's body once she reached her and kissing her deeply on the lips.

The feeling of skin on skin was almost too much for Beca to handle, but she desperately wanted more and started to slide her hand between them to pull her underwear down when Chloe caught her wrist and stopped her. She looked up into Chloe's dark eyes and was about to say something, when Chloe leaned forward and bit down on Beca's lip, pulling it into her mouth and worrying it gently with her teeth. The sensation was unlike anything that Beca had ever felt before and she softly said "Chlo, I think I'm going to-"

Chloe cut her off and tenderly said "No, you're not. Just relax, we're only just starting. Just close your eyes and let me take care of it." Beca nodded her head slightly and tossed it back against the pillows moments later when Chloe threaded her fingers under both sides of her cotton underwear and teasingly slid them down her legs and off of her body.

Beca was becoming overwhelmed with pleasure and looked up at Chloe, wondering how to return it to her and give Chloe one shred of how she was feeling right now. It all felt so awkward though and she couldn't decide where to touch or how rough to do it to provide her pleasure. It was frustrating and she desperately wanted to reach out and grab Chloe's body, but her brain was pulling her back.

Chloe could see Beca start to internalize her thoughts and kissed her to break her concentration. Beca looked up at Chloe with worried eyes and Chloe just smiled at her before moving her hand down between their bodies and to the point of no return. Beca swore that her eyes rolled back in her head as Chloe started to touch her and as she began to gasp lightly in pleasure, Chloe nibbled on her ear and sexily murmured "Don't think."

Beca did just that and all thoughts of losing her girlfriend and hating having to leave soon dissipated as Chloe took her to heaven and back. If she had this to look forward to every weekend, being back at Barden would be no big deal at all.


	6. Once Upon Another Time

**Chapter Six: Once Upon Another Time**

It was one month into the semester at Barden and Beca was already trying to find a way out of her housing contract. For the fourth weekend in a row, she was being forced out of her small dorm room and to the welcoming arms of her girlfriend and her huge apartment. It's not that she didn't like Amy, they were good friends and had bonded last year over their mutual sarcastic humor and ability to wind Aubrey up, but it was possible to spend too much time with one person and Beca needed a break.

* * *

Since Barden required all students to declare a major by their sophomore years, Beca made the grown up decision to come up with a back-up plan and chose to become an economics major. Aubrey had talked her into it when she visited the girls in Maine and made it sound simple and interesting. She explained different theories to Beca and talked about how you could do a bunch of stuff with your degree and how it would make Beca more marketable when she did become a professional DJ and eventual producer. It probably didn't help that both girls were drunk that night and Chloe couldn't stop Beca from logging into her student account and changing her major that evening.

She was regretting it now that she had a schedule full of business courses and a failing grade in her Macroeconomics class. It was so different than what Aubrey had made it seem and instead of explaining stuff like inflation with pizza, like Aubrey had done that evening, her professor chose to use numbers and that was Beca's downfall. She was terrible at math and spaced out the moment that her professor started diagramming theories on the board. She could see everyone around her taking methodical notes and paying attention, but she just couldn't do it and knew that her dad was going to kill her once he found out that she was screwing up this badly.

Besides her now heavy school schedule, she also had to deal with being the captain of the Bellas. While their win at ICCAs had helped improve their reputation at Barden, it was difficult to replace the voices that they had lost over the summer. Chloe had a solo in every song that they performed and Aubrey's strong soprano voice had been the backbone of all of their arrangements. Finding singers that could replace that dynamic had been the most difficult task handed to her thus far and after listening to over thirty auditions at tryouts last week, they had only found one decent soprano to take Aubrey's spot. The other girls then voted and decided that Beca would take over as the lead soloist in the group.

Beca wasn't too pleased with this and had felt uncomfortable during ICCAs when she had the majority of their lead vocals in their final performance. However, she knew it was for the good of the group and just agreed when they sprung it on her on hood night. It was just another thing on her plate that she didn't need and she was hoping that the other girls would see the error of their decision once rehearsals began in the coming weeks.

Outside of Chloe, there was one other good thing in Beca's life and that was her job at the radio station. Since Luke graduated last semester and went back to London, a new station manager had been appointed and things had changed. Beca and Jesse were now allowed to play music instead of just stacking CDs and each of them, along with the other interns, were slotted one night of the week to have the station to themselves. Beca had been given Thursday nights and looked forward to it all week. It was the one thing that felt right at Barden that semester and she would start planning her set on Monday, meticulously picking her songs and throwing in a new mix or two each week to keep it fresh. She knew that hardly anyone actually listened to the station and that this wasn't the same as being on an actual radio program, but it still gave her butterflies each time she heard her voice and her songs playing over the airwaves.

While she was enjoying some professional success, Beca wished that her social life would catch up with it and make the semester at least somewhat enjoyable. The other Bellas were just as busy with their classes as she was and hanging out with them was becoming increasingly less frequent as the weeks passed. She had only seen Cynthia Rose and Stacie twice so far and both times came during Bella events. She wasn't close with the rest of the girls and besides Amy, she was pretty much alone on campus. She wasn't talking to Jesse anymore since a fight tore them apart two weeks ago and she didn't have any other friends outside of the Bellas. The only person she really had was Amy and right now, she didn't want to see the brash girl until the weekend was over.

* * *

She had come back to her dorm room after a nightmare test in her economics class and just wanted to crash for a few hours, but opened the door and saw that Amy had other plans. The room was dark and crowded with people dancing along to loud techno music and waving glow sticks in the air. She could make out Amy dancing on her bed and approached her, yelling her name over the pounding bass to get her attention. Amy followed her out of the room and tried to explain that it was party night, just like it was every Friday night, and that she thought it was cool with Beca. Beca was annoyed and didn't want to hear anything that Amy had to say, shaking her head before going back into the room and grabbing her backpack and some clothes and leaving. Amy tried to follow after Beca as she left, but Beca simply brushed her off as she searched through her bag for the bus fair that she would need to get into the city.

She now found herself standing in front of Chloe's apartment, knocking on the door and sending texts to her girlfriend to get her to let her in. After standing there for five minutes, the door finally opened and Chloe stood in the doorway with sleep heavy eyes and an apologetic expression on her face. The girl looked like she hadn't slept in a week and Beca knew that she had awoken her from a nap and felt horrible.

Chloe simply smiled and motioned for Beca to come in; giving her a tight hug once the door was shut behind her. They held each other for a minute before Chloe pulled away and yawned before saying "So, what are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming out until tomorrow. Is something wrong back at school?"

Beca slumped against the wall and said "There's always something wrong back at school. I didn't realize that tonight was party night and I just wanted to take a nap, but Amy's throwing a rave in our room as we speak and I couldn't stay there. So, here I am hoping that you have a place for me to sleep tonight. I can go to my dad's if it's a problem."

Chloe shook her head and said "Of course not. You can sleep in my bed like you do any other time; I just have a class tomorrow morning so I can't stay up all night with you. I was actually sleeping before you got here. Could you maybe keep yourself busy for a little while so I can go back to sleep? I'm happy to have you here and I'd love to talk or watch TV with you, but I worked this afternoon and last night and I'm exhausted."

Beca just shrugged and said "That's fine. I'll just work on some homework for a little while and then I'll be in to go to sleep. Thanks for letting me crash here, you're the best."

Chloe kissed her gently on the lips and rubbed her back soothingly for a few moments before pulling away and trudging back to her bedroom. She looked so tired and while Beca desperately wanted to spend some time with her, she knew that school and work were practically killing Chloe and just let her sleep.

As Beca sunk onto the couch in the living room and pulled out her Intro to Accounting homework, she couldn't help herself when she thought back to Maine and how simple things had been there. She desperately wanted to turn back time and go back to when things were seemingly perfect, but she couldn't and sighed heavily as she started to work on a problem. If this was what the rest of her time at Barden was going to be like, she was going to seriously consider leaving for Los Angeles. Chloe wouldn't be enough to keep her here and she would just have to deal with a long-distance relationship. First though, she needed to figure out depreciation and then kill Aubrey for getting her in this mess.

* * *

While Beca hated her semester at Barden thus far, Chloe absolutely loved every second of her classes at medical school. They were challenging in a way that classes at Barden had never been and it was nice to finally have to work at something. She had skated through high school and college without ever really struggling and it was fun to face a challenge. The last time she felt this way was when Beca introduced new songs to the Bellas repertoire and she actually had to learn new choreography and parts of songs for the first time in four years.

Her course load was heavy and she spent most nights pouring through her notes, memorizing facts and reading from her huge textbooks. She was taking five courses that semester and when she told people what they were, the sympathetic looks they would shoot her would just make her smile. She was taking classes in biochemistry, anatomy, embryology, physiology, and genetics and loved being able to rattle them all off when asked. It was a ton of work but had been rewarding so far and she couldn't imagine herself doing anything else.

Like Beca however, Chloe's social life was pretty much nonexistent. Her classmates were all bogged down with their school work and spent their free time either studying or partying. She preferred to do the former on her own and the latter sparingly since she didn't drink anymore. Not having alcohol or parties to talk about made it difficult to fit in, but she was okay with that. She would rather them know her for how intelligent she was than for how she acted when she got drunk. It was time to grow up now and if that meant not having a social life, that was okay with her. She had Beca and Aubrey and the other Bellas when she managed to see them and that was enough.

The one thing she loved about living with Aubrey was that Aubrey was just as busy with school as she was and was really respectful of her. They gave each other space to focus on school and whenever they weren't working or studying, they had each other to relate to. Aubrey was loaded down with law school and working at a local firm, so she could relate to Chloe and empathized with her when she just wanted to sleep or complain or cry about how stressed she was. They were strangely codependent on each other, but they had been for four years and it worked. Neither girl could ever imagine themselves living with anyone else and it was the perfect match.

Besides school and Aubrey, Chloe worked at a small bar near campus as a bartender and enjoyed that as well. She didn't love getting hit on all night, but the tips were great and kept her from relying on her parents for financial support. She could pay her rent and save a little each month and that was enough. She could easily quit her job and ask her dad for money, but he wasn't interested in her life so she wasn't interested in his money. He could pay for school because he at least owed her that, but that was all she would ask for from him. She was an adult and needed to be able to provide for herself, so for now she worked a few nights a week and tried not to fall asleep as she poured shots for college students who were actually enjoying their evenings and worked on homework during downtimes.

* * *

Aubrey had just finished up a paper for a class when she tugged her headphones off and heard music coming from the living room. She thought that Chloe had been sleeping and hoped that she was awake so they could spend some time together. This had been a particularly rough week and she just wanted her best friend, ice cream, and trashy TV to make it all better.

When she went to the living room, she didn't see Chloe and turned the TV off before heading back to Chloe's room. She knocked on the closed door once and then slipped inside, jumping when she saw Beca sitting on the edge of Chloe's bed, watching her sleep.

Beca jumped up at the noise and softly said "Aubrey! This isn't what it looks like; I just got bored and came to check on her. I'm staying here for the night and I just…I wanted to be by her for a little bit. It's been a long week."

Aubrey managed a slight smile and brushed some hair off of Chloe's face before motioning for Beca to follow her out of the room. Once they got in the hallway, Aubrey said "It's been a long week for me too. Do you want some coffee? I was just about to make a cup and I can make you one while I'm at it. We have regular coffee, cappuccino, and hot chocolate."

Beca followed Aubrey out into the kitchen and sunk onto a barstool at the counter before saying "I'll take a cappuccino, thanks." She watched Aubrey make the coffee with their Keurig and minutes later was joined at the counter by her old nemesis. She took a sip from the steaming mug that Aubrey handed to her and burnt her tongue on the scalding liquid. As she pushed it away from her with a grimace, she couldn't help but laugh at how typical this was of her life. She quickly stopped laughing though when she looked up and saw Aubrey studying her with a concerned look on her face. Beca just smirked and said "What are you looking at? I burnt myself on this stuff, but I'm not hurt. I know you're dying to laugh at stupid old Beca Mitchell."

Aubrey just shook her head and said "It's not that. I'm just worried about you. You look worn down and from what Amy has told me, you're pretty miserable. I take it that you didn't want to go to the "_Thunder From Down Under Party_" tonight, right? I got an invite from Amy, but I'm not much of a raver and declined. How are things going with your living situation?"

Beca shrugged and said "Besides these stupid weekly parties, it's okay. It's a lot better than Kimmy Jin because she at least talks to me, but I've just been really stressed lately with school and trying to fix the Bellas. Why did you lie about being an econ major? I'm really bad at it and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to fail most of my classes."

Aubrey sighed and said "No you're not, Beca. I just gave you a suggestion because I loved being an econ major, but you don't have to stay with it if you hate it. I can help you get through your classes, but it's going to be a long three years for you if you don't like it. I'm surprised that you're not a musical theory major. You can play the piano and know how to read music, so why don't you try that? I know this is your back-up plan, but what kind of life are you going to have with a career you hate? You should change your major and as soon as possible before you lose out on this semester and have to repeat it. Do you want me to call your dad and break the news to him?"

Beca just smiled and said "No, you don't have to. It's funny that you've both talked me into a major and out of one, but you're right and I need to change it. I guess I'm just afraid of not making it in music, but I don't think I can do anything else so why should I torture myself now? Why are you being so nice to me, Aubrey?"

Aubrey shrugged as she took a sip of her coffee and said "I guess you didn't catch this in Maine, but I'm not a complete bitch. I think I'm actually quite pleasant now that I'm not as stressed as I was last year. I love the Bellas and everything, but it was killing me. So, why are you over here and not at Jesse's? From what I remember, you two were pretty close. Are you two still friends?"

Beca felt tears flood her eyes and she softly said "Chloe didn't tell you what happened?"

Aubrey shook her head and Beca sighed before launching into the painful events that ruined the closest friendship she had ever had.

* * *

Two Fridays ago, Jesse had called her up and invited her to game night with him and Benji. It was a tradition that had been started last year and while Beca enjoyed kicking their asses each week, Chloe was spending the evening with her and she didn't want to impose. Jesse didn't mind though and invited Chloe over too. They would finally be able to form equal teams when they played charades and he liked Chloe, so it wasn't a big deal.

When they arrived at the boys' dorm room, they had some pizza and talked for a little while before starting to play charades. Chloe partnered up with Benji and together they dominated Beca and Jesse, winning each of the five games that they played. They were the perfect combination of weird and had such a diverse knowledge of movie trivia that they easily came up with clues and gave the other team no real chance of winning.

When they lost for the fifth time, Jesse smiled at Beca and said "I didn't know that you brought in a ringer, Bec. What are you Chloe, rain man?"

Chloe just smiled and said "I'm really good at trivia. Well, mostly I'm good at memorizing stuff, but I also watch a lot of movies and TV. I'm pretty sure that I can whip you at anything, so do you have any other games? Maybe something a little more challenging than charades."

Jesse just smiled as he dug through his closet and pulled out the game _Buzz_, sliding the disk into Benji's Playstation and handing out buzzers to everyone. They chose their characters and played a few games, each time ending with Chloe as the victor. It was really no competition as she completely dominated each game and midway through their third game, after sweeping the music category, Beca threw her remote across the room and said "That's it! I'm done! I'm the music expert and this is clearly rigged, so I think we should play something else."

Jesse grinned as he turned the machine off and said "I think I was right, Chloe. You're like some kind of trivia savant. We should form a team and go to competitions and dominate. How are you at Boggle? I haven't played it in a long time and I don't want to be destroyed in that either."

Beca rolled her eyes and said "Don't even get it out. She's amazing at word games. We can't even watch _Wheel of Fortune_ without her guessing every puzzle and driving me crazy. I love you Chloe, but I kinda want to punch you the whole time it's on."

Chloe raised an eyebrow and shoved Beca over on Benji's bed, holding her arms down and tickling her as Beca giggled helplessly. Chloe smiled down at her as the boys watched with bemused expressions and said "Tell us that you don't mean that and I'll let you go. Come on Beca; admit that you love playing games with me."

Beca just smiled and kissed Chloe on the lips, causing the older girl to release her hands from her body and allowing Beca to roll out from underneath her. When she looked up to grin at Jesse, she saw how pale his face was and the stunned expression painted on his face and froze. From the looks of it, he was shocked and had no idea that they were together. After a moment he looked at Chloe and Benji and said "Could you guys give us a moment alone to talk?"

Chloe nodded and walked with Benji out of the room, leaving the two friends to fight this out. Beca sunk onto Benji's bed and said "Jesse…I know what you're thinking and it's not true. I didn't leave you so I could move on to Chloe. I had feelings for her for so long and it didn't feel right between us. Don't look so angry, I didn't plan on hurting you. I just figured that you understood what was going on between us. I thought maybe you got it when I told you that I spent all summer with her. I thought it was obvious."

Jesse just shook his head and said "It wasn't to me. I thought there was something between us and that you just got scared at finals. I was okay with giving you time, but I didn't realize that you would use that time to find someone else. Was it her all along? Is that why you led me along for months like some stupid puppy? That's really low Beca and thought we were friends."

Beca jumped to her feet and said "We **are** friends, Jesse! There was never anything between us and I'm not going to date you so you feel good about yourself. I love her and there's really nothing to get upset about. This isn't a movie and you don't always get the girl. I'm sorry, but I can't fake something with you."

Jesse just nodded and said "That's nice, because you sure fooled me. You acted like you wanted me, but this whole time you wanted a chick. That makes a whole lot of sense, Beca. You kiss me, but want to be with a girl. What else have you lied about? Do I even know you?"

Beca sighed as angry tears filled her eyes and said "I can say the same about you. I think it's time that I leave and go home with someone that's not an asshole. Call me when you pull your head out of your ass and grow up."

Jesse opened the door for her and said "That won't happen. I don't hang out with liars and I don't want to see you. Have fun with your girlfriend."

He slammed the door and the tears ran from Beca's eyes as Benji and Chloe looked at her with stunned expressions. Benji walked them to Chloe's car and explained that he was gay and that Jesse was cool with it and wasn't homophobic, but Beca didn't want to hear what he had to say. He had pushed her away just like everyone else did and that was fine. She didn't need friends anyway. She just couldn't convince her heart of that and found herself crying at the car in Chloe's arms as Benji tried desperately to fix things that his stupid best friend had screwed up.

* * *

By the time she finished retelling the story, Aubrey had moved on to wine and both girls were lounging on the couch and sipping from their second glasses. She shook her head as she drained the rest of her glass and said "What an asshole! It figures that he's the captain of the Trebles, he's just like Bumper was. I can't believe I actually thought he was a decent person. Do you know what you need?"

Beca shook her head slowly and Aubrey said "You need to sit here and watch crappy TV with me all night. Nothing makes me feel better than some stupid episode of _Honey Boo Boo_ and a bottle of wine. I usually do this Chloe, but she's down for the count and you need it. Here, let me refill your glass."

The girls sat on the couch for two hours, giggling over the program they were watching and getting increasingly drunk with each glass of wine that they consumed. Beca was on her third glass and Aubrey was just finishing her fourth when the show went to a commercial and Beca went to get some water so she wouldn't be completely hung over in the morning. When she came back to the living room, Aubrey was stretched out on the couch and glaring at a commercial on the TV.

Beca saw the familiar credit card commercial with Alicia Keys in it and rolled her eyes, having seen it four times already that night. She smiled down at Aubrey and said "What's your deal with Alicia Keys? You look like you want to go through the TV and strangle her."

Aubrey sighed and said "I want to slap the shit out of Alicia Keys in this commercial. Look how smug she looks up there with her stupid piano and this guy creeping on her in the wings. It's like nothing good happened to this guy until he broke up with his girlfriend."

Beca smiled and said "Well, I want to meet David Guetta. Maybe I should break up with Chloe and get a credit card and then it'll happen."

Aubrey laughed and said "Don't even think about it. I'm already dealing with a mopey Chloe, I don't want to add emotionally destroyed on top of it."

Beca grinned widely as she sunk back onto the couch with Aubrey and put the stopper in the bottle of wine, knowing that they both had drank enough. Aubrey tried to protest, but knew it too and finished her glass before focusing back on the show.

A little while later Chloe came out into the living room and smiled at the scene. They both looked happy and comfortable with each other and she had been waiting for this for almost a year. She couldn't contain her joy as she jumped on top of them, giving each of them a hug before sprawling over their bodies and laying with them on the couch. Her head was in Beca's lap and her feet were resting on Aubrey's legs and while it was uncomfortable, there was no better mattress in the world.

Beca stroked Chloe's hair as the minutes ticked away and once the program ended, she looked down to see that Chloe had fallen asleep and from the sound of snores next to her, Aubrey had joined her. She was trapped on the couch, but for some reason it didn't matter to her. There was no other place she'd rather be and a year ago this would be awkward, but now it felt right.

She had lost Jesse but gained a friend in Aubrey and somehow they balanced out and she was okay with that. Nothing could last forever and part of growing up was finding new people that fit in your life and made you whole. She knew that she would fix things with Jesse eventually, but for now she had Chloe and Aubrey and that was enough.


	7. Look After You

**Chapter Seven: Look After You**

Beca was working on a new mix in her dorm room when she heard a knock at the door and rose with a low groan. Bella rehearsals had started last week and she was still feeling the effects of the dancing and cardio on her body. She tried to be quiet as she stumbled through the darkened room, not wanting to wake up a sleeping Amy, and opened the door a tiny bit. She could see a striking light blue eye staring back at her and opened it a little wider, stepping through the doorway and out into the hallway so she could talk to Chloe and not disturb Amy.

Beca looked down at her watch and said "It's almost eleven, Chlo. What are you doing here? You have class in the morning."

Chloe just shrugged and said "I haven't seen you in days and I wanted to talk to you in person. I got a phone call from my mom earlier and her and my step-dad are driving in on Thursday. They're going to stay until Saturday and then go back to Tampa. They haven't seen me since graduation and they want to see my apartment and check in on me."

Beca nodded and said "That's really cool. Are you telling me this so you can get out of seeing me on the weekend? They're your parents and you haven't seen them in a long time, so it's okay with me if you spend time with them."

Chloe shook her head and said "I wasn't going to suggest that we not see each other, but thank you for being cool about it. Actually, my mom wants to take me out to dinner and I asked if I could bring a friend. I want you to meet my parents and be there when I tell my mom about being bisexual."

Beca's eyes widened and she softly said "That's a little bit heavy for a dinner conversation, Chloe. You're not afraid that she's going to freak out in public and humiliate you in front of a restaurant full of people?"

Chloe smiled and said "My mom's not like that. Her and my step-dad are actually pretty open-minded and I have a feeling that they already know about this, so it's just a formality. I feel really close to you and I think that we're getting serious, so I want you to meet my parents. I understand if you don't want to, but I would really like it if you could come. I love you and I want them to meet the most special person in my life and to have you there in case my mom does get weirded out. Will you come? Pretty please…"

Chloe trailed off as she shot Beca puppy dog eyes and Beca said "Okay, I'll come. You can't expect me to say no to a face like that. What am I going to do about my show though? I have to be at the station at nine, so it'll have to be an early dinner. Is that okay?"

Chloe nodded and said "Yeah, no problem. You can drive me and then I'll hitch a ride back with my parents when you leave to go to the station. So, I should probably get going, but I'll call you on Wednesday with the details. "

She leaned in to give Beca a goodnight kiss and when she pulled away Beca softly said "I love you" before heading back into her room. As she settled back onto her bed and flipped open her laptop to continue working, she couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about meeting Chloe's parents. What if they hated her and freaked out about Chloe's announcement? What if they made Chloe break up with her? She sighed heavily as the thoughts circled through her head and as her eyes began to droop, she turned her laptop off and fell into a restless sleep.

* * *

At around five thirty on Thursday evening, Beca pulled up in front of Chloe's apartment building and sent her a text to let her know that she was waiting. It was nice to be able to drive herself places and she had been so happy when her father surprised her with a car last weekend. It had been his old car and it was just an old Ford Bronco, but it was badass and any form of transportation was good enough for her. She didn't even mind when Chloe and the Bellas called her "O.J." and teased her about going on a police chase. It was awesome not to have to take the bus and she would take whatever crap they gave her because she was happy.

Chloe came down a few minutes later and looked nice with her hair pulled in a loose ponytail and dressed in a nice blazer paired with a dark jeans. She smiled at Beca as she climbed into the SUV and gave Beca directions as they drove into the city. After a few minutes they reached a classy restaurant in the middle of the city and Beca froze as she pulled up to the front and a valet approached her to park her car for them. She handed the guy her keys and then walked over to Chloe, who looked completely comfortable here. Chloe smirked at Beca and said "What's wrong? You look kind of nervous. You aren't getting cold feet, are you?"

Beca shook her head and said "No, it's just that this place is really nice and is probably really expensive. Are you sure it's okay?"

Chloe reached out for Beca's hand and said "Don't be silly. My parents wouldn't have invited us if it was too much. Now come on, no backing out now."

She led Beca into the restaurant and a waiter took them back to their table where Chloe's parents were already sitting and sipping wine. Chloe's stepfather was a tall man with jet black hair, handsome features, and a perfect smile. He rose when they approached the table and towered over the girls by at least a foot. He gave Chloe a tight hug and then turned his attention to Beca, smiling at her before pulling her in for a bear hug too. Beca tried not to squirm as his huge arms wrapped around her body and realized quickly just where Chloe had gotten her touchiness from. Neither of them had any qualms about physical contact and after a moment he released her and said "I'm Eric Simmons, you must be Beca. We've heard an awful lot about you. Please, sit down."

Beca sunk onto a chair next to Chloe and immediately found a hand thrust towards her, begging her to shake it. She looked up and smiled as she was met with the spitting image of Chloe. Chloe's mom had dark brown hair and big blue eyes, the same shade as her daughters'. Her handshake was warm and firm and the huge smile on her face made Beca instantly at ease. Beca shook her hand and said "It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Simmons. Chloe has told me so much about you, it's like I almost know you already."

Mrs. Simmons smiled and said "Call me Kate, sweetheart. Mrs. Simmons is what my mother-in-law is called. Did you two have a long ride? We thought that you'd hit rush hour traffic, but you got here on time."

Chloe smiled and said "Actually, it was fine. I think most people are out of the city by five, so we didn't get stuck. How was your drive up from Tampa? Did it take long?"

As Chloe's parents started to talk about their drive and how things were back in Florida, Beca allowed herself to relax as she wasn't the center of conversation. They seemed like really nice people and all, but she liked it when the attention wasn't on her. It didn't last long though because when she looked up from her lap, she could see Kate and Eric staring at her with smiles on their faces and Chloe trying not to laugh. Beca felt her face become red and she softly said "Sorry, I was just daydreaming. Did you ask me something?"

Eric laughed and said "Yeah, I was just talking about my job. I own a construction company and Kate is an accountant. What do your parents do?"

Beca nodded and said "My mom is a nurse back in Lansing and my father works at Barden as a professor. He teaches comparative literature and a couple other courses, but that's his specialty. His wife is a pharmaceutical sales-rep and my mom never remarried. "

Kate smiled and said "That's nice that you have your father close by. It must be nice to see him on campus and to get advice from him about what courses to take and professors to choose. Do you live here during the summers or do you go back to Michigan?"

Beca tried to smile and said "This past summer, before we went to Maine, I stayed with my father. Before I came to Barden, I lived in Michigan with my mom. I like it here though so I'll probably stay with my dad next summer instead of going back home."

Chloe jumped into the conversation and said "Beca's dad is really nice. I had him for one of my classes and he was probably one of the better professors I've ever had. He was nice enough to let us stay with him before we drove up to Maine."

The topic of conversation then turned back to Maine and Chloe's grandparents, giving Beca another reprieve to calm herself down and just listen. Soon they placed their orders and made casual small talk while they waited for their food to arrive. Eric broke the eventual silence that fell over the table when he said "So, Chloe told us that you're into music and want to be a producer. That's really cool, Beca. Is that what you're studying at Barden?"

Beca nodded and said "Yeah, I just changed my major to musical theory. For a little while I was an economics major, but I didn't like it and decided to study something that interests me. I work at the radio station on campus and I'm not sure if Chloe's told you yet, but I have to leave a little early so I can play my set tonight. I get one night a week to man the booth and unfortunately, tonight's my night."

Kate just smiled and said "That's alright, dear. Chloe has already told us and we're going to take her back to our hotel for a little while and then we'll drop her off at her apartment. We're dying to see what she's done with the place and we also want to see Aubrey. We haven't seen her since graduation and she must be swamped with law school. She'll be the perfect lawyer though; it just seems to suit her and her personality."

They then talked with Chloe about medical school and soon their food arrived, which was a nice distraction for a while. Once they finished eating, Beca felt Chloe move her hand into her lap and thread her fingers through Beca's. She looked nervous and Beca knew what was coming, which made an uncomfortable feeling take over her stomach and she instantly felt nauseous.

Kate looked at the two girls and frowned when she saw that something was off with them. She cleared her throat softly and said "Are you guys okay? You look a little nervous and pale. Were your dinners alright?"

Chloe nodded and softly said "Mom, there's something that I need to…to tell you. Please don't hate me once I tell you, because I'm excited about it and I want you to be too."

Eric just shook his head and said "Sweetheart, we could never hate you. Whatever it is that you have to tell us, we'll be okay. So, what's going on? Are you pregnant!?"

He raised an eyebrow playfully and both girls felt themselves relax as they allowed themselves to laugh. After a moment, Chloe sighed and said "Not exactly. When I told you that I was bringing a friend along, I was only telling you half of the truth. Beca is my friend, but she's also my girlfriend. We've been together since just before graduation and I wanted to tell you, but life just got in the way. I'm…I think… well I **know **that I'm bisexual and it's been that way for a while now actually. I'm sorry."

Both of the adults across from them didn't look fazed and Kate simply shook her head before saying "Baby, you don't have to be sorry for anything. We've suspected this for a while now and it's okay. We figured you were more than just friends when you decided to take her to Maine with you. Who you like doesn't change how we feel about you and frankly, we're just happy that you found someone that you like. You never had to be afraid to tell us or anything like that. Now, let's order dessert."

The topic was dropped almost as quickly as it was brought up and Beca felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. Chloe had quit squeezing her hand like her life depended on it and was now tenderly stroking Beca's leg, sated with happiness from the conversation that had just taken place.

A half hour later Beca announced that she had to leave to get back to school and hugged both of Chloe's parents before leaving the restaurant. Once the girl left the table, Kate smiled down at her daughter and said "We love her, Chloe. She seems like such a nice girl, just a little shy and socially awkward. You picked well. Come on, let's go back to our hotel and talk a little more. I want to hear all about her and what happened up in Maine. From how close you two seem, I'm guessing that you did a little more up there then just hanging out on the boat and at the ocean."

Chloe blushed and just smiled, unbelievably happy with how things had gone and relieved that she didn't have to carry her secret around any longer.

* * *

A little while later Chloe found herself lounging on a hotel bed with her mother and chatting candidly about Beca and all the things that they had done over the summer. She didn't dare mention the mind blowing sex that they had on their last night there and instead focused on the lighter and happy memories from their vacation. Kate seemed happy to hear about their trip and hung on every detail, her face lighting up whenever Chloe would tell her something romantic or sweet that Beca had done for her.

After a particular story brought a huge smile to Chloe's face, Kate smiled at her daughter and softly said "You're in love with her, aren't you?"

Chloe bit the corner of her lip and nodded before saying "Yeah, I am. I've been in love with her since the moment that I met her. I've never met anyone like her before and she just…she makes me feel so good whenever I'm around her and it's never been like that with anyone else. I think that she might be the one. I know it's early, but I love her so much and I don't want to ever leave her."

Kate stroked Chloe's shoulder gently at her revelation and said "Good for you, Chloe. I'm so happy that you found her and have someone like Beca in your life. She seems like she's really good for you and you both seem to bring out the best in each other. We're totally supportive of you and whatever you end up doing with Beca. I'm just happy to see you smiling."

Chloe was about to saying back to her mother when she heard music start to play and looked up to see Eric turning the volume up on his laptop. He smiled at Chloe and said "This is your girlfriend playing. She's pretty good. Does she come up with these things all on her own?" Chloe nodded and he said "Wow! She doesn't need musical theory classes; they should be letting her teach them. Let her know that she has fan."

Once the current song playing ended, Beca's clear voice came over the laptop's speakers and they heard her say "Hey all you night owls, thanks for tuning in to WBUJ. This next song is a special request from yours truly. This goes out to my girlfriend Chloe and if she's listening somewhere, I hope she knows how much I love her. This is _Look After You _by The Fray."

The soft ballad was radically different from what Beca usually played and as Chloe listened to the tender words in the love song, she felt her heart melt and tears fill her eyes. She went to wipe them away and could see her parents both smiling as they watched their daughter fall to pieces in front of them from just a single song.

Eric eventually laughed and said "She's the one, Chlo. She's definitely a keeper."

* * *

Later on that evening, Chloe snuggled up in her bed with her blankets and took her phone in her hands, dialing Beca's number and waiting for the DJ to pick up on the other end. She was met by Beca's sleepy voice and softly said "Hey, I just want to thank you for coming with me to dinner and playing that song on the radio for me. My parents heard it and practically fell in love with you. It was beautiful Beca and I love it."

Beca laughed over the line and said "Well, I meant every word that they were singing. I'm always going to be here for you and I love you. You should get some rest, Chloe. I'll call you tomorrow. Sweet dreams."

* * *

A few days later, Beca found herself standing outside of her father's house as she anxiously waited for him to open the door. She had told her mother about Chloe the day before and when her mother took the news well, she knew she couldn't keep it a secret from her father any longer. She didn't tell Chloe that she was telling her father because they didn't have a good relationship and this was something that she felt that she had to do on her own. She was worried that he was going to flip out when she told him and she didn't want Chloe to experience that with her.

She was her father's only child and to have his dreams for her crushed might send him over an edge that terrified Beca to think about. She hoped that it would be as simple as Chloe's coming out had been, but she was a pessimist and knew that her dad would probably be upset with her.

When he answered the door a moment later, Dr. Mitchell smiled down at his daughter and said "Beca, what a nice surprise! What are you doing here on a Monday morning? You don't have a class until this afternoon. Shouldn't you be in bed right now?"

Beca shrugged and motioned to a McDonald's bag that she had in her hand before saying "I bought breakfast. I want to talk to you about something and I figured that Egg McMuffins can soften any bad news that I can give you."

Dr. Mitchell frowned and said "Come on in and we can talk. I just made some coffee and Sheila is on a business trip so the house is ours."

He led his daughter into the house and poured each of them a cup of coffee before sitting down with her at the island in the kitchen. Beca was picking at the edges of her wrapped sandwich and he sighed before saying "Thank you for the breakfast, but I can't eat anything until you tell me what's going on. Are you okay?"

Beca took a sip from her mug and softly said "No, not really. I had dinner the other night with Chloe and her parents in Atlanta. We talked about some stuff and now I feel like I should have the same conversation with you. I've been holding off on it for a while because I don't want you to hate me. I don't want you to make me drop out of Barden and go back to Lansing."

Dr. Mitchell just shook his head and said "I want to stop you right there. I think I know what you're getting at and first of all, I would never make you leave this school. You seem to finally like what you're studying and you have friends and the Bellas and I would never make you give up on all of that. Secondly, I know that you're dating Chloe and it's not a big deal. I've pretty much known since I saw you two at dinner before you left. No two friends look at each other the way that you two were doing without being romantically involved."

Beca felt her jaw drop open and she said "You knew this whole time? Why didn't you say anything? It's been eating away at me for months and you knew!"

He laughed lightly and said "Come on, Bec! Two friends don't go to a beach house with each other for four months without there being something more between them. Your mom told me a while ago about you having a girlfriend back in Lansing and it wasn't a big deal then, just like it isn't a big deal now. You don't have to answer me if you don't feel comfortable, but do you like guys too or just women?"

Beca bit her lip and said "Umm…that's weird for me to answer. I've dated guys before, but nothing ever felt right. I've had little crushes on guys but I've only ever really been attracted to women. I guess that makes me a lesbian and I'm sorry if that pretty much ruins any hopes you had for my future."

He shook his head and said "No, that changes nothing. I was just curious and I'm actually pretty happy that you can admit to your sexuality and not keep it a secret anymore. I'm also happy that you've found a girl like Chloe. She seems like a very sweet girl and she must be the one for you because this is the first time you've been completely honest with me and it's nice. I don't care if you ever get married or have children or anything like that. What matter to me is that you're happy and you obviously are right now, so it's not a big deal. Have you told your mom yet?"

Beca nodded through teary eyes and said "Yeah, I called her yesterday. She was really cool about it too and I know that a lot of kids don't get this kind of reaction from their parents, so thank you."

He just shrugged and said "Well, you have cool parents. Now, let's eat this stuff before it gets cold and becomes even more disgusting than it already is."

Beca just smiled as her father started to eat his sandwich like nothing had changed between them. He didn't bring it back up and instead starting to talk to her about his record collection. It felt comfortable and good and Beca was overwhelmed with happiness. She had the woman of her dreams and the support of her friends and family. What could be better than this?

* * *

**A/N: I feel like this chapter and the last chapter were the jumping off points for what's to come. They weren't my favorites to write, but they're necessary for where this story is going. There are only three chapters left and they are the ones that made me want to start this story to begin with. It's been a long buildup, but I'm really excited to write the rest of this and I look forward to seeing your reactions to the next chapter. Reviews would be nice, but I'm not going to pander for them. I personally hate reviewing stories, so it's cool either way. Thanks for reading!**


	8. You In The End

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews and follows. I never expected this kind of response to this story and it means so much to see your thoughts about what I've written. Thank you to those of you that have reviewed a bunch and stuck through this whole thing. And to finally answer the question in my reviews from last chapter: Yes, there will be strife and plenty of it. ****  
**

**Chapter Eight: You In The End**

Chloe practically ran into her apartment from her car, wrapping her arms around her torso as she tried to preserve her body heat. It had been an unseasonably cold November so far and as the temperature dipped into the high 40s, Chloe's discomfort rose. Of course she had to forget her coat in her room on the coldest day of the year. She had just finished up with her last class for the week and was glad that she didn't have to work this weekend, giving her two full days to relax and hopefully spend a little time with her girlfriend. First though, she wanted a warm bath and then a nice long nap. School had gotten gradually more difficult and she had also picked up a few more hours at the bar, which left her exhausted most nights. She usually would call Beca and chat with her, but it could wait a little while in favor of getting warm and rested.

As she entered her warm apartment, Chloe froze when she heard the sound of a piano being softly played. No one was watching TV and Aubrey couldn't play the piano to save her life, so someone had either broken into her room and was playing with her keyboard or she was finally losing her mind. She walked back towards her bedroom and smiled as the music got gradually louder as she neared her room. She opened the door to her room and grinned when she saw Beca sitting in front of her keyboard, playing a familiar melody on the instrument with her eyes squeezed shut. Chloe watched her in silence until she finished and then softly said "You remember my song from Maine. It's been how long and you still know it."

Beca jumped slightly at Chloe's voice and glared at her before running her hands nervously through her hair and turning the keyboard off. She stood up and said "Um, I kind of memorized it. It was beautiful and I don't think I'll ever forget it. So, what are your plans for this evening? Anything special?"

Chloe looked down at her feet as she sunk onto her bed and said "Oh, I don't know. I was going to take a bath and sleep, but now that you're here I think I might have to reschedule both of those. Why? Do _you_ have anything special planned? Is tonight special for some reason?"

A shy grin played on Chloe's lips and Beca smiled before reaching into her bag and pulling out a bouquet of red roses. She handed them to Chloe and softly said "Happy six months, Chloe. I made reservations at the restaurant where your parents took us, but right now I just want to kiss you. Okay?"

Chloe nodded as she smelt the roses and cast them aside a moment later as Beca pushed her back onto the bed and laid on top of her, letting her tongue explore Chloe's mouth and her hands warm her shivering body.

* * *

_Aubrey walked into the living room and found Chloe slumped over on the couch, with her anatomy book folded across her chest and her hand resting on her eyes. Aubrey touched her shoulder and said "What are you doing? Studying usually works a lot better if you have the book open. What's up with you today? Are you feeling alright?"_

_Chloe sighed as she sat up and let the book hit the floor with a loud thump. She could see Aubrey's body tense in disappointment and she laughed to herself as she placed it on the coffee table, not wanting to incite the wrath of her clean freak roommate. Chloe looked up at Aubrey, who looked more comfortable now, and softly said "It's nothing, I'm fine."_

_Aubrey rolled her eyes and said "No, you're not. You sound terrible and you look like you've been crying. You're doing great at school, so I know that studying isn't throwing you off. It's Beca, isn't it? It's your six month anniversary, what could possibly be wrong between the two of you? Are you fighting?"_

_Chloe shook her head and said "No, we're not fighting. I'm just…she's forgotten our anniversary each month for the past six months. I know the first couple of months aren't important, but six months is a long time and I…I **want** her to remember. What if she doesn't? Does that mean that she doesn't care enough about us to remember a simple date? What if six months isn't important to her?"_

_Aubrey put her hands on both of Chloe's arms and stroked them gently before saying "Hey, calm down and quit with the questions. You know that she loves you, she's just…scatterbrained. She can't focus on anything but music and you, so I don't think that a date is going to stick in her mind. If she does forget, it's not that big of a deal. Anniversaries are just a stupid excuse to spend money and go out to eat. You guys do that stuff all of the time, so just forget about her remembering and focus on what you have. Okay? Don't beat yourself up over this, Chloe. You have someone that loves you with all of her heart and if you can break through walls as high as hers' were, then I think you have something special."_

_Chloe simply nodded and said "You're right, Bre. If she remembers, then we'll do something special and if she forgets, you're having pizza with me and watching chick flicks all night long. Deal?"_

_Aubrey pulled her friend into a tight hug and said "Deal."_

* * *

Chloe pulled away from Beca's soft lips after a few minutes and said "I thought you'd forget. I really appreciate the flowers and the reservation, but we don't have to go out to celebrate. I'm kind of tired and we could just make something small and go to bed. I wouldn't object to falling asleep with you on top of me. That's the only way I could get to sleep some nights back in Maine and I wouldn't mind recreating it."

Beca simply shook her head and said "No, we can do that later. We have all weekend to sleep and right now, I want to do something special for you. It's our anniversary and I know it means something to you, so we should celebrate. I'm thinking a movie and then dinner. That movie you've been waiting to see is finally out here and I may have preordered tickets online."

Chloe smiled widely and said "_Perks _is finally here?! Why didn't you say that in the first place? Let me get dressed and then we can leave."

Beca just laughed lightly and leaned back against Chloe's pillow as the bigger girl practically bounded off of her body and ran over to her closet to find the perfect outfit. She tried not to smile as she watched Chloe strip and then change into a tight pair of jeans and a nice shirt. Her girlfriend's lack of boundaries was just one of the things that she loved about her and it went beyond just being able to ogle her from time to time. She had this way of making Beca feel completely at ease and while Beca hated romantic moments and sitting through movie, she would do anything for this girl.

Once Chloe finished getting dressed, she slid her jacket over her body and smiled at Beca before saying "Are you ready to go?"

Beca stood up and softly said "In a minute, you're missing something." She walked over to Chloe's desk and pulled a scarf off of it before slowly approaching her girlfriend and wrapping it gently around her neck. She then kissed Chloe's cheek and said "There, now we can go. It's cold out and I don't want my girl getting sick."

Chloe wrapped an arm around Beca's back and pulled her close before walking out of the apartment with her and heading down to her car in the parking lot in front of the building. As she slid into the passenger seat of the Bronco, Chloe looked over at Beca and said "I love you."

Beca just smiled and turned the key in the ignition, starting the engine of the car and then shifting into gear as they pulled away.

* * *

_Beca nervously knocked on the apartment door, knowing that Chloe wasn't inside and that Aubrey probably wouldn't be too pleased to see her on a school night. She didn't know what else to do though and Aubrey would just have to get over it._

_A few moments later the door swung open and Aubrey sighed as she saw Beca standing there with an uneasy grin on her face. She opened the door a little wider and said "Come in, I guess. What are you doing here? Chloe has the late shift tonight and you have Bellas practice."_

_Beca worried her lip and said "I cut it short. I actually wanted to talk to you about something. You… you're her best friend and you know what kind of stuff she likes. Tomorrow is our anniversary and I know that she's expecting something from me, but I don't know what to get her or where to take her. I'm not so good at romantic stuff and I would make her a mix or something like that, but I figured it should be something more special than that. Can you help?"_

_Aubrey rolled her eyes and said "You're actually asking me for help? You should probably pinch me because this can't be reality."_

_Beca sunk onto a stool at the counter and said "Believe me, Aubrey, I wish it wasn't. I don't know what else to do. I know that I've screwed up each month when I forget and I know that this month is important to her. I've barely had friendships last this long and for me to keep an actual relationship going this long must mean that I really care for her. That has to mean something to you, right? Please don't let me screw this up."_

_Aubrey took pity on the younger girl and said "Okay, I get it. You don't have to tell me anymore of your sob story. Chloe would like anything that you give her because she loves you and the fact that you bought it specifically for her would make her love it. She's more about memories though and your best bet is to take her out to dinner. Take her to a nice place and get her dessert because she's a sucker for anything chocolate. Maybe take her to a movie beforehand, something cheesy and romantic. Oh! That little theatre downtown is finally playing The Perks of Being a Wallflower. She loved that book during her sophomore year and is dying to see it. I'll order you tickets right now and all you have to do is drive her and not screw things up. Do you think you can do that?"_

_Beca made a face at Aubrey and said "I'm not a complete idiot. Thank you though. Maybe I'll pick her up some flowers or candy before I get here. I should probably get going so I can plan this out."_

_Aubrey nodded and said "I'll leave the confirmation number for your tickets on my bed. Just sneak in and get it and Chloe will never know that you didn't do this on your own. Have a good time tomorrow."_

_Beca just smiled and thought about giving Aubrey a hug, but decided not to at the last second and left the apartment. She couldn't give Aubrey the satisfaction of being indebted to her and a hug would give her all of the power. Still, she had been really great tonight and if she did everything that Aubrey suggested, maybe she wouldn't completely ruin their anniversary._

* * *

Two hours later, Beca found herself lounging in a seat at the movie theatre, fighting back tears. She should have known that she'd end up a quivering wreck when Chloe started to cry at the opening scenes. In fact, she had cried through the whole movie and it had annoyed Beca up until she found herself getting teary too. Most of the theatre had cried at some point during the movie and Beca chalked it up to being stuck in a room full of teenage girls with little emotional depth. Still, she had never expected this.

The movie had reached its emotional climax, with Charlie finally understanding what had happened between him and his Aunt Helen, and Beca was stunned. What kind of aunt did _that _to her nephew? She had even gasped when it was revealed and when she caught Chloe staring at her, she tried to pass it off as a cough. Chloe didn't believe her though, simply rolling her eyes and smirking before turning back to the screen.

Not long after, the movie was starting to wrap up and Beca was fighting back tears as Charlie seemed to do better. She didn't expect what happened next though and as the kids started to drive through the tunnel, she felt tears building up in her chest. It hurt to hold them back, but she was in public and was not about to have an emotional breakdown in a theatre full of people. Her body had a different plan however and as Charlie stood up in the bed of the pickup and David Bowie blasted in the background, she couldn't hold them back and cried with big gasping sobs. It was the painful kind of crying, where it feels like you're going to get sick and you know how ugly your face looks, but you can't stop. Her eyes were burning and her nose had started to run and it hurt to breathe, but she couldn't stop and soon Chloe's hand was resting on her thigh and rubbing it gently as she cried too.

The credits started to roll and people filed out, but Chloe sat with her and waited until she calmed down enough to talk. Beca wiped her face off with the backs of her hands, thankful for once that she wasn't wearing a ton of makeup or she would have a huge mess, and looked up at Chloe whose face was streaked with mascara. She gently wiped some of the marks away and said "Look at us; we must look like a train wreck. People are going to stare at us in the lobby when we leave."

Chloe just smiled and said "That's okay, let them look. It was a great movie and it's okay to cry, Beca. Besides, you don't look that bad. I, on the other hand, probably look horrible because I was pretty much crying the whole time. Let's get out of here before it plays again and I start crying like a baby."

* * *

Chloe took Beca's hand in hers and led her out to the car, getting in and kissing Beca on the cheek in appreciation for the pick. As they started to drive to the restaurant, Chloe smiled gently and said "How did you know I wanted to see that movie? We don't really talk about movies all that much, so was it just a lucky guess?"

Beca nodded and said "Something like that. So, did you like it? Besides the crying and everything, I couldn't really tell if you enjoyed it."

Chloe grinned and said "It was great. The book was still better, but the movie was good too. What about you? Did you like it?"

Beca shrugged and said "It was alright. The ending was great and it had Kate Walsh in it, which is a huge plus. She's super hot."

Chloe shoved her and said "Oh my god, you have a thing for older women! First me and now Kate Walsh. I'm like Mrs. Robinson!"

Beca tried to think of a witty comeback, but couldn't come up with one and was saved from further embarrassment when they pulled in front of the restaurant. The valet requested her car keys and Beca obliged, happy to get out of the car and to drop the topic at hand. While she had a thing for older women, she didn't want Chloe to think about it anymore and realize that she had another thing in common with Kate Walsh: her red hair. It drove Beca crazy and had been the thing that instantly attracted her to Chloe the moment they met. Her knowing that surely result in a lifetime of embarrassment for Beca and she was happy when Chloe seemed to forget all about it and walked with her into the restaurant.

* * *

They ate dinner in a comfortable quiet, interrupted occasionally by small moments of conversation and intensely romantic looks that they would shoot each other. There wasn't much to say that hadn't already been said and they both knew exactly what would happen once they left the restaurant. Amy was gone for the weekend and they would have Beca's room all to themselves until Monday. Beca had planned ahead and placed candles around the room and scattered rose petals on the bed. It had initially looked silly in her too small dorm room, but there was also something quintessentially endearing about it that she knew Chloe would love. Before the epic sex that was bound to happen though, they needed to finish dinner.

Both girls had finished their entrees and Beca had insisted on dessert, ordering a piece of chocolate cake for the two of them to split. It was taking forever though and she swore that Chloe was about to fall asleep at the table. She felt bad for ignoring Chloe's protests and wanted to take the girl home and put her to bed, but Aubrey had suggested it and she knew that Chloe would appreciate the thought. She just wanted the evening to be perfect and once the cake finally arrived, the small grin Chloe shot her was enough to dissolve her nerves and make everything seem a little better.

Beca paid for the bill once they finished and while it was insanely expensive, they had both enjoyed their meals and that was enough for her. Plus, her father had given her his credit card to use and while he wouldn't enjoy seeing the $75 charge on his bill, she knew that he would appreciate that she didn't spend it on something overtly obvious like a hotel or booze.

* * *

When the valet brought the car back and they got in, Beca could see how tired Chloe was and sighed when she saw the girl lean against the door and blink rapidly to stop her eyes from closing. They should have just stayed home and enjoyed a quiet night, but she tried to do too much and now Chloe looked completely exhausted.

It didn't take long until Chloe's light breathing overtook the silence in the car and Beca fought herself from pulling over and just watching her sleep. There was something so innocent about Chloe when she slept and Beca loved to just stare at her. Thinking about it made her feel like a creep though and as she merged onto the highway, she couldn't stop from laughing.

The noise woke Chloe up and she looked around in confusion, taking a second to realize that she had fallen asleep. She blushed a little with embarrassment and smiled slightly at Beca before she softly said "I'm sorry that I fell asleep. We're on a date and it was rude of me to just pass out as soon as I got into your car. Besides, there's some stuff that I want to do with you back at your room that I need to be awake for. I'll try to stay up so we don't miss out."

Beca smirked and said "That's not the only reason that I took you out tonight. I just wanted you to have a good time and if we do have sex, then it's an incredibly generous perk of the whole experience. You can go to sleep if you want to though. It's not like we have to have sex just because it's our anniversary. We have all weekend and tonight we could just listen to music and chill out. Okay?"

Chloe reached out for Beca's hand and said "I know you wouldn't take advantage of me, but I **want **to. Didn't you see the way I was looking at you at dinner? That was my sexy look, reserved only for Beca Mitchell."

Beca grinned and said "Yeah, I saw it and it was incredibly hot. So, how do you want me to keep you awake? We could pull over right now and do it in the car or we could listen to some music or just talk."

Chloe thought for a moment and said "The car sex sounds nice, but I'm pretty sure that this car has never been cleaned inside and I don't want to catch any diseases from it. I have an idea! You can sing for me! Do the song that you guys sang for SBT this year, it was awesome."

Beca rolled her eyes as she thought back on that night and the song that the other girls insisted that they sing. They had been throwing out ideas of which song to cover and it had been Stacie's idea to do a mash-up of Taylor Swift. Beca personally hated the singer and felt her skin crawl at the mere mention of singing her songs, but the girls insisted and Beca managed to come up with a mash-up that didn't make her sick. Chloe and Aubrey had come along to watch their performance and danced wildly as they did a mash-up of _I Knew You Were Trouble _and _We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together_. It was embarrassing and too poppy for Beca's tastes, but even she could admit that they sounded good and that the crowd of partiers loved every minute of it.

Beca sighed as she squeezed Chloe's hand and softly sang "_I knew you were trouble when you walked in…"_

She looked at Chloe, begging her to continue the song so she didn't have to, and Chloe surprised her when she sang "_Naked and strutting around. Took my mind to places that it had never been. I wanted to screw you on the cold, wet ground."_

Beca's jaw dropped at Chloe's impromptu rewriting of Taylor Swift's song and laughed despite herself. Chloe joined her a moment later and both girls giggled at the memory of their first shower together. Beca smiled over at Chloe and said "Nice rewrite. Taylor Swift never sounded so good before. We should recreate that night again sometime."

Chloe kissed the top of Beca's hand and after yawning deeply, said "That sounds great, Bec. Just not tonight though, I'm too tired."

Beca nodded and watched as Chloe leaned back against the door of the car, fighting to stay awake and failing miserably a few moments later. Beca didn't care though and found the sound of her breathing somewhat comforting. While she wanted to have sex with Chloe, it didn't have to be tonight and she was content to wait it out. She would do anything for her girl.

* * *

They had finally reached Duluth after ten minutes and were driving through the small college section of the town. While it was small, it had a decent nightlife and the three bars in the town were packed with college students enjoying the last weekends before finals and holiday break began. They were a few minutes away from Barden and Beca drove as fast as she could through the crowded streets. She usually tried to stay away from town on the weekends because there were a lot of drunks on the road, but it was colder outside now and the alternative route back to campus was on dark roads that were probably full of deer. It was a tradeoff she had to accept and as they sat in traffic, she had the opportunity to look over at her sleeping girlfriend and take in her beauty.

They were the first car at the intersection and as Beca sat at the red light, she reached out and stroked Chloe's soft hair with her fingers. She had no idea how she would get the sleeping girl out of the car and into her dorm, but that could wait. Right now, she just wanted to spend a few more minutes with her like this.

She didn't see the light turn green immediately and soon heard the driver behind her honking his horn repeatedly. She glared up at him in her rearview mirror and pulled forward, figuring that it was okay to go since the light had been green for at least fifteen seconds. She was dead wrong though and as she pulled through the intersection, Chloe's body was lit up by the headlights of an oncoming vehicle.

A truck came at them quickly, the driver running his red light and swerving as he tried to control his vehicle. He was too drunk to press down on his brake and the only way his car slowed down was as it collided with the Bronco.

As Beca watched the bright light fill the car, she screamed Chloe's name in panic. Chloe's eyes briefly opened and stared at Beca in shock as light washed over her fear covered face. Beca would never forget how blue those eyes looked and they seemed to meet for an eternity until the cars eventually collided.

There was nothing Beca could have done and no matter how hard she pressed down onto her accelerator, the car would never make it out of the intersection in time. As time seemed to slowly drip by, Beca closed her eyes and braced for the impact. In a shower of lights, sound, and pain, she tried to reach out for Chloe's hand, but couldn't seem to find her. Light beget silence and as she slipped into the dark, Beca began to pray. For their survival, their safety, and to see her love again.


	9. Forever Love

**A/N: Thank you for all of the reviews for the last chapter. It was crazy to see the response and I really appreciated it. I didn't mean to keep you hanging for so long, but I've been pretty sick and I also love cliffhangers. This chapter is a little shorter, but it's really just to set up chapter 10. Chapter 10 will be the last chapter of this story and there's a ton of stuff in it, so it's going to be super long and take forever to write but I've been waiting for this for a long time. Without further ado, here's chapter nine. **

**Chapter Nine: Forever Love**

_Beca awoke with a start, tearing her eyes open and looking around frantically as her breath came in quick pants. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dark room, but soon she recognized some of the furniture around her and realized that she was in Chloe's bedroom. It was just a nightmare and she was okay. She wiped her sweaty face off with the back of her hand and laid back down on the bed, calming when she felt the cool sheets on her bare body. She desperately wanted to fall back asleep and forget about what had startled her so much, but she knew that it would be impossible. She was too wound up now and would most likely lay awake all night, staring into the dark and trying to will her eyes to close. _

_After a few moments of silence once she got settled and under the blankets, she felt a warm arm reach out and wrap itself around her waist. She jumped a little at the feeling, but relaxed when she felt Chloe pull her body close to hers and kiss the back of her neck. She hummed contentedly and Chloe softly whispered "Hey, what's going on? You're shaking, Bec."_

_Beca just shook her head and said "I'm fine. I think I just had a bad dream or something. I'm okay though, you should get back to sleep."_

_Chloe kissed her shoulder blade and said "No way. If you were okay, then you wouldn't be shaking like a leaf and awake. Tell me what happened in your dream. Maybe if we talk about it you'll feel better."_

_Beca took Chloe's arm that was wrapped around her abdomen and raised her right hand to her lips, kissing it gently before placing it back down on the bed. She leaned a little closer to Chloe and said "I can't really remember what happened in my dream. It must have been bad though if it woke me up. Let's talk about this later, I just want to sleep."_

_Chloe nodded and said "Sure, Beca. I'm right here if you need me. Don't worry about waking me or anything. Okay?"_

_Beca nodded timidly and as Chloe closed her eyes and relaxed a little, Beca softly said "Could you hold me for a little while? I don't think I'm going to fall back asleep and I just…I think it would help calm me down."_

_Chloe smiled and nodded gently, opening her arms a little wider as Beca rolled over and laid her head on Chloe's chest. She lazily tossed an arm across Chloe's stomach and seemed to melt into her body as she felt Chloe's arms wrap around her back and pull her closer. It was warm and comfortable and the only place that felt like home. She was almost glad that the nightmare happened because she loved when Chloe held her and she felt her body stop shaking as Chloe's deep and steady breaths provided a comforting lullaby to her. _

_Chloe fell asleep almost immediately and Beca found herself quickly joining her girlfriend in slumber. Her eyes were getting heavier and heavier and after a few minutes she couldn't hold them open anymore, feeling them close but not fighting the sleep any longer. She could feel herself slipping away, but a noise started to invade her ears and stopped her from falling any further. It got louder and louder and as she tried to wake herself up, she recognized the blaring noise as that of a car's horn being pressed down. It was unbearably loud now and Beca fought against the sleep, struggling until she was able to pull her eyes open and found herself…_

* * *

…face to face with her steering wheel. The sound was deafening and her head was pounding with the worse headache she had ever had. She could vaguely hear voices in the distance, but things were a little fuzzy and she couldn't place them. As the smell of something burning entered her nostrils and filled her lungs with smoke, she coughed and bit back a scream as she felt like her lungs were tearing apart. What the hell happened? The last thing she could remember was driving and lights and…and Chloe's eyes. How scared she looked as lights provided a backdrop and illuminated her terror in a portrait that Beca would never be able to forget. She had wrecked the caror crashed it, but either way it wasn't good and she felt like she was going to be sick.

Her ears were ringing with the sound of the horn and it dawned on her that she was causing it. Her head was resting heavily on her steering wheel and her forehead was directly on the horn. She took a few deep breaths, now adjusted to the searing pain in her ribs, and pulled her head away from the wheel, unable to stop herself from screaming out as unbearable pain ripped through her body. She could see the blood covering the steering wheel and then darkness, as her body fell back against the seat and she slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Chloe stared at her from across the bed and her blue eyes look full of worry as she bit her lip and tried to read into whatever expression was currently on her face. Beca wished that she would just look away from her and give her a few moments to compose herself. When she told Chloe that they would talk about her nightmare, she didn't mean it would happen as soon as they woke up. She had plans and they revolved around morning sex and breakfast, in any order but both definitely needed to happen. Morning sex was her favorite and both were perfectly dressed for it, but her foreplay was lost on Chloe as she shrugged her off and insisted on talking. Sometimes she hated how much Chloe cared for her and now was definitely one of those moments._

_Beca smiled awkwardly at her girlfriend and said "Why are you staring at me, Chloe? I told you last night that I don't remember what happened in my dream. I'm trying to remember, but I can't. I don't really remember any of my dreams and if I did, I would tell you about it. I wish I could remember it so I could at least figure out what exactly made me so scared last night."_

_Chloe stroked her arm gently and said "Me too. It's not that big of a deal, Beca. I just thought that maybe it came back to you when you fell back asleep, but it's probably better that it didn't. If it freaked you out that badly, then it's probably for the best that you can't remember or think about it. You'll just have to sleep over here again tonight and I'll hold you in case it happens again. I want to be there for you and maybe next time we can work out exactly what's going on in that head of yours."_

_The smile on Chloe's face nearly broke her heart into pieces and Beca reached out for her hands, taking them in hers and holding them tightly. She __**did **__remember bits and pieces of her dream and felt awkward talking about them, but Chloe was being so great and it wouldn't be a big deal to open up to the one person that would never judge her. She sighed deeply and looked into Chloe's eyes, mesmerized for a moment at just how blue they were. How could anyone's eyes be so perfectly blue? They were unique and stunning and probably Beca's favorite thing about Chloe. She could lay all day in front of her and just stare at her eyes, taking in her beauty and not saying a word. _

_Chloe felt a little awkward as Beca stared at her and softly said "Earth to Beca! What's going on? Why are you staring at me now? Do you want to hear what I was dreaming about last night?"_

_Beca shook her head and said "Not really. You probably dream about weird stuff like med school and Aubrey and a cappella. I was just thinking and I think I remember part of my dream. You and me were in it and something bad happened and I couldn't find you. I kept screaming for you and I could hear you crying, but I couldn't find you. You were just gone and I felt…I was alone and it scared the hell out of me. Promise me that you won't leave me. Please?"_

_Chloe nodded slowly as tears filled her eyes and she took Beca in her arms, wrapping her arms around her body and holding her close. She kissed the top of Beca's head and said "I'm never leaving you, Beca. I love you and I'll always be here for you. I'll always be here to hold you and make everything okay. It was just a dream, Becs. I'm here."_

_Beca nodded against her chest and slowly started to kiss her way up to Chloe's lips, sliding her tongue into Chloe's mouth and exploring it as she pushed Chloe's body back against the bed. Chloe groaned into her mouth as pleasure filled her body and let her hands make their way between them, stroking Beca's breasts and abs teasingly before settling against her center. Beca moaned into Chloe's mouth as pleasure started to fill her body and she could feel Chloe's fingers settling just where she needed them to be. The pleasure was building and building until it slowly morphed into a dull pain. She could feel Chloe's hands stop their ministrations and the only thing she could focus on was the building pain as she found herself alone and in complete darkness. The pain was growing and growing, causing her moans to turn into painful whimpers as she tried to force it away. _

* * *

As she forced her eyes open again, she was back in the car and leaning against the seat which was a good deal more comfortable than the steering wheel. She could hear sirens in the distance and they were gradually becoming louder and louder as they approached the car. Help was on the way and soon this terrible pain that was running through her body would end and everything would be okay.

She blinked heavily as a wave of dizziness washed over her and focused her eyes on the steering wheel in front of her, groaning when she saw how much blood was on it and felt a sting of recognition come from her forehead. She could feel tears running from her eyes along with something else that was a little heavier and stickier. She figured that it was blood from her wound and desperately wanted to clasp her hands to it and provide pressure to make it stop, but had the good sense not to because she knew it would only hurt more.

The heavy smoke was still lingering in the air and she looked down at the ignition of the car, realizing that the car was still on and the engine was running without having anywhere to go, causing the car to overheat. She looked up and was able to make out a wall of some sort next to the car, so they must have been pushed into it by the other car and unable to move. She knew from her small knowledge of cars that if the car overheated enough, it could catch fire and that didn't sound good. She gathered her strength and reached out for her key, turning the car off and then dropping it to the ground with a light thump. She then looked down, trying to spot where it had went but stopping when she caught a glimpse of her left hand. It was covered in blood and she could see her fingers twitching without her control. Her eyes slowly traced up the limb and she let out a choked sob as she saw a bone sticking out of a wound in her forearm. The pain that was causing her fingers to spaz out finally made itself known to her and she groaned lightly as she passed out again.

* * *

_Chloe was standing across from her in the tiny shower and trying not to laugh at the incredulous look on her face. Beca was biting her lip as she stared back at her girlfriend, trying to understand how someone as beautiful and put together as Chloe did not possess the basic tools needed to get a shower. She shook her head slowly and said "How can you not have a loofah? You have body wash and lotion, so how can you use it without a loofah? This is showering 101, Chloe, and I really don't get it. Do you think Aubrey has one? Maybe I could borrow hers."_

_Chloe rolled her eyes and said "That's disgusting, Beca Mitchell! I think Bree would blow a gasket if she caught you doing that and I value your safety along with your cleanliness. You can't just use someone else's loofah, especially when you don't know where it's been or how old it is."_

_Beca laughed and said "I wasn't serious! Besides, she doesn't have a boyfriend so I can imagine just where that thing has been."_

_Chloe shoved her playfully back against the wall of the shower and said "Stop! That's an image I don't want to get in my head. I can't believe you're making a big deal out of this. I have washcloths that you could use or you could let me show you how I like to wash off."_

_Beca raised an eyebrow and said "Well, you always smell pretty good so I guess it might work. Besides, the idea of you washing my body is kind of sexy, so feel free."_

_Chloe giggled and poured some body wash into her hands before she winked at Beca and said "Close your eyes. I want you to be surprised."_

_Beca managed a slight smile and squeezed her eyes tightly as Chloe reached out and started to rub her hands tenderly all over her body. The feeling of her lithe fingers slowly making their way across the sensitive parts of her body almost sent her over the edge and she bit back a content moan. Once she was covered in the body wash, she could feel Chloe's lips on her cheek and opened her eyes as they slowly moved to her mouth, covering her lips as she let out a low groan of pleasure. _

_Chloe's smile broke apart their kiss and as she moved Beca back into the water and started to rinse the soap off of her, Beca leaned her forehead against Chloe's and softly said "God, I love you. You have the __**best**__ ideas."_

_Playful pearls of laughter escaped from Chloe's lips and as she slowly opened her eyes and looked into Beca's, everything clicked. An unbelievable warmth spread throughout her body and she just gazed into those gorgeous eyes as she felt love practically radiating off of her. There was no place she would rather be and all it took was a shower for her to realize that she wanted this for the rest of her life. This was perfection and she never wanted to let it go. Chloe was her person and if she could wake up to this every morning and feel this kind of love, she could die happily. She closed her eyes contently and when she opened them again…_

* * *

…She was back in the car and the sirens were unbearably loud and so close that she knew that they would be there in a matter of moments. Each breath hurt more and more and the pain had grown exponentially too, but somehow she was able to stay conscious and she was thankful for that. The memories of that morning back in September only made her feel worse and it slowly dawned on her that she hadn't heard from Chloe. She wasn't crying or talking or screaming or doing anything to give her a sign that she was okay.

She didn't care how much it hurt to move and turned her head to the side, crying out in pain and fear when she saw Chloe slumped over on the passenger's seat. There was blood on her face and she could see some matted into her hair too. She wasn't moving or making a sound, but she could see her chest slowly rising and falling with each breath and calmed slightly, thankful that she was at least alive.

Her eyes made their way to the passenger door and she couldn't stop herself as she began to sob loudly, seeing the damage that had been done to the car. The glass was completely shattered and the door was crumpled in with blood splattered across it. It was completely beyond repair and Chloe had been leaning against that when they got hit, so she had to have been seriously injured. There was no way that the door could take that much damage without Chloe getting hurt too and that terrified Beca.

She ignored her pain and reached out across the car, slipping her right hand into one of Chloe's and holding it tightly. Chloe didn't respond as she held onto her hand, but at least she was doing something and that was enough. She held onto her hand for a few minutes until an ambulance pulled up close to the SUV and paramedics ran out, gathering equipment before heading over to her side of the car. She let go when the door was opened and she was face to face with a young paramedic who looked as scared as she felt.

Everything after that was a blur, but somehow she was taken out of the car and placed on a stretcher all while a police officer talked to her in a calm and reassuring voice, trying to calm her down. As they start to move her, Beca began to panic and looked back at the car, fighting against the restraints that had been placed over her body to keep her still. Chloe was still in the car and she couldn't leave her there. They promised never to leave each other and she had to be with her, especially now that she was hurt and alone.

She desperately pulled against the straps going across her chest and sobbed heavily as she cried out for Chloe, begging the paramedics to stop and take her back so she wouldn't have to be alone. They wouldn't listen to her though and she kept fighting until she felt a pinch in her arm followed by a sense of calm that ushered her back into the dark.

Back in the car, Chloe could hear Beca's cries and opened her eyes slowly as she tried to place where she was. The first thing that hit her was a throbbing pain in her forehead and she whimpered in pain as it nearly sent her back over the edge. She bit her lip to get through it and could feel blood rolling down her face, dripping over her cheeks and sliding into her mouth. She spit out as much as she could and gagged at the metallic taste in her mouth. She hated everything about blood and the taste and smell of it was overwhelming her. She tried to move an arm to wipe her head off, but nothing happened and she froze. She desperately tried to move her other arm and when nothing happened again, it dawned on her that something was wrong. She couldn't feel any pain either and while she hoped that her body was just in shock, she knew that it could be something worse and that scared her.

By the time the paramedics had returned and one slid into the car and knelt next to her, she was sobbing without control and panicking. The paramedic placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and said "It's okay. We're here and we're going to take you to the hospital. What's your name, sweetie?"

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to will her tears away and with a quavering voice said "I'm Chloe. My…I think my phone is in my purse and I need you to call Aubrey. She'll take care of everything, but you have to call her. Okay?"

The paramedic slowly nodded and calmly said "Sure, we'll call her once we get you out of here. What kind of pain are you feeling, Chloe? Where does it hurt?"

Chloe whimpered and softly said "My head hurts really bad. My forehead is stinging, but the back of my head is pounding. I just want to go home. I want my mom."

Chloe had broken down into tears and the paramedic stroked her hair gently before he said "I know sweetie and we're going to get you out of here and to the hospital. What else hurts? Is it just your head?"

Chloe was now sobbing as she looked up at the paramedic with fear filled eyes and said "No, I don't think so. I can't feel my arms and my legs won't move either. I think something is wrong."


	10. Be Still

**A/N: So this is it, the final chapter. Thank you for reading this so far and I hope you enjoy this last chapter. It's the longest yet, but it's also the one that I'm the proudest of. Try not to hate me once you finish; there's a reason for this ending and all will be revealed in an update in a few days.**

**Thank you so much for following and reviewing. It really means a lot to me.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Be Still**

When she was a little girl, Aubrey's father always told her to never be afraid of anything. Fear was weakness and no one would ever love someone that was weak. She took those words to heart and kept her emotions inside until she went to college and met the girl that would turn her world upside down. Chloe wore her emotions on her sleeves and eventually that wore off onto Aubrey, who let her walls come down and allowed herself to feel for the first time in years. Sure, that resulted in embarrassing stress vomiting and sometimes she didn't think before she spoke, but it was better than nothing.

Her father had been angry when she came home from her first semester at college and found that she was now outspoken and stood up for herself when he would yell at her. Chloe had taught her to believe in herself and while her father's glare could still make her wither, she wasn't afraid of him. That took away his last bit of leverage over her and instead of getting angry about losing his control over her, he simply chose to not talk to her. Whenever Aubrey would come home, her father would only have a few sentences to say to her, which were mainly complaints about things that she had done wrong back at school, and then they would ignore each other. Aubrey wasn't a huge fan of this, but it was better than how he used to treat her and she accepted it. She loved her father and wanted a relationship with him, but some people just didn't know how to show their emotions and her father was one of them. She knew that he loved her and he had tried to be civil at her graduation, but they were better off living separate lives and that was okay with her. Indiana was a long way from Georgia and while she missed her mother and younger siblings, it worked and she hoped to keep it that way.

If only her father could see her now, as she stood in the lobby of the emergency room and paced as she stared down at her cell phone. Tears were rolling down her face without control and he would tell her to pull herself together and stay strong. She couldn't help it though and was freaking out at the prospect of losing her friends. The cop that called her had few details and just told her to get down to the hospital as soon as possible. Aubrey had never been happier to leave a date before and skipped out on her dessert that she was sharing with a classmate and headed to the hospital. She was in downtown Atlanta and was able to reach the hospital quickly, but was in for a long wait as the ambulances carrying her friends had to travel twenty minutes before arriving.

The long wait had given her time to call Chloe's mom, who was flying out as soon as possible from Tampa, and Beca's dad, who was at a conference with Sheila and could be there within two hours if he left now. That meant that Aubrey would have to man the fort all by herself and take care of both girls, which scared the hell out of her. She wasn't that strong and she had never been in a situation like this before and she could feel her stomach churning as she began to worry. She was only one person and since she had some spare time, she decided to call for backup.

She called Cynthia Rose and Stacie, who were roommates, and they agreed to head to the airport to pick up Chloe's parents and bring them to the hospital. Once they dropped them off, they would go to their apartment and get Chloe's car and drop it off so Chloe's parents would have transportation if they wanted to leave or go to a hotel. She then sent out a text to the remaining Bellas from last year, asking Lily and Denise to find a way into Beca's room to get some clothes for the girl in case she was able to leave and Jessica and Ashley to bring up coffee and food in a little while in case they were going to be there all night. All of the girls agreed to help out and were concerned about Beca and Chloe, but Aubrey didn't have any answers and promised to text them when she got word on their conditions.

After taking care of that business, she called Amy who was in Savannah with a few friends for the weekend and broke the news to her. The bubbly Australian panicked when Aubrey told her what happened and started to gather up her clothes as Aubrey tried her best to calm her down. Amy wanted to leave that moment to get back to Barden, but Aubrey assured her that there was nothing that she could do right now and that she could come tomorrow to see her roommate. Amy agreed to stay overnight in Savannah and asked Aubrey to tell both girls that she was thinking of them. Aubrey agreed to and hung up, almost breaking down again at how emotional Amy had been. She had never heard the girl sound that upset before and it almost put her over the edge, but she composed herself and looked back down at her phone.

* * *

She was sure that she had contacted everyone that was important, but as her eyes scanned over a name in her list of contacts she froze and stared at it for a moment. _Jesse Swanson_, Beca's best friend and the guy that hurt both her and Chloe. Aubrey knew that he would want to be there and even after everything that had happened between him and Beca, she would want him there too. She hated calling him since she didn't really care for him, or any other Treblemakers for that matter, but she would feel worse if she kept something like this from him.

Her fingers trembled slightly as she tapped his name on the touch screen of her phone, but ignored it as she raised the phone to her ear and waited for him to pick up. After six rings, the phone was answered and an exasperated Jesse said "Hello? Who is this?"

Aubrey sighed and said "Jesse, it's Aubrey." She heard him start to protest and she cut him off with "Please don't hang up. I know we're not friends or anything, but I need to talk to you about something."

Jesse groaned and said "How did you even get my phone number? Did Beca give it to you? Are you calling because of what happened between us at game night? It's really none of your business and we'll work this out on our own. Thank you for your concern though."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and spat out "Jesus Christ, Jesse! I'm not calling about that, nor do I care about your friendships or a fight you had over something stupid. I'm calling to tell you that there was an accident tonight. Beca was out with Chloe and they were in a wreck. Some guy hit them and it's pretty bad and they're on their way to the hospital right now. I just...I thought that you should know."

Jesse felt his breath catch in his chest and he cleared his throat a few times before softly saying "Is Beca okay? Do you know anything about how serious it was or if either of them is really hurt?"

Aubrey shook her head and said "No, they couldn't tell me anything. I just talked to a police officer and he said that Chloe had given a paramedic her phone and asked that they contact me. I have no idea how bad it is, just that they told me to come as soon as possible. I can only imagine though...um, are you coming down here? I think it would mean a lot to Beca if you came."

Jesse sighed and said "It's not that easy. I really screwed up that night and I didn't mean what I said to her. I really like Chloe, just like everyone does, and it just threw me for a loop to see the girl I thought was attracted to me kissing her. I think I came up with this delusion of what our relationship was in my head and I wasn't even close to what it actually is. She just wanted to be friends and I couldn't accept that and...I don't think she'll want me there. We haven't talked since that night and I know that I really hurt her. I hurt both of them and I don't think I can show my face down there."

It was Aubrey's turn to sigh now and she said "Jesse, if something is seriously wrong with Beca and you don't come down here and make things right, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life. You guys are best friends and a fight won't change that. She really misses you and I know that you miss her too, so please just get your shit together and come down here. Okay?"

Jesse nodded to himself and said "You're right. I'll be down there as soon as possible. Do you need me to pick up anything on my way there? I could grab you a coffee or something. Maybe I could bring up some books or magazines to keep you busy. It might be a long night and hospitals are no fun."

Aubrey was about to say something back to him, when the doors to the emergency department swung open and Beca's panicked cries preceded the stretcher that was carrying her. They were a mix of pain and fear and Aubrey could make out Chloe's name between her sobs. Aubrey went to hang up her phone when Jesse quickly said "Aubrey, is that Beca? Is she screaming?"

Aubrey choked back her own sobs and said "Yeah, they just brought her in. She's covered in blood Jesse, please get down here."

Jesse felt the blood run from his face as he heard Beca's cries coming over the phone and softly said "I'm leaving right now."

* * *

Aubrey shoved her phone in her pocket and rushed over to Beca, who looked up at Aubrey and only cried harder when she saw her friend standing there. Aubrey reached out to grab Beca's hand, but the girl pulled it away and said "Go with Chloe. Make sure she's okay, Aubrey."

Aubrey nodded and stepped away from the stretcher, watching the paramedics rush her down a corridor before turning towards the door to the ambulance bay as it swung open again. Another team of paramedics were pushing Chloe on a stretcher and unlike Beca, Chloe seemed relatively calm. Her head was wrapped in gauze and there were a few scratches on her face, but besides that she looked okay. Aubrey breathed a sigh of relief and walked over to her friend, stopping when she noticed the large brace on her neck and all of the straps that were going across her body, keeping her body still as it lay on a backboard. There were at least five holding her down at various places and she seemed abnormally still for someone that had gone through such trauma. Disregarding that, Aubrey reached out and took one of Chloe's hands in hers as they walk. When she didn't feel Chloe squeeze back or attempt to hold onto her, Aubrey felt her stomach do flips and she almost lost control of her stomach. Something was wrong with Chloe and it was likely serious from the looks of it.

Chloe smiled up at Aubrey and said "Bree, I'm okay. Beca's freaking out and you need to go with her. Keep her calm and get her to stop crying. She's probably so scared and she needs you more than I do. I'll be okay."

Aubrey shook her head and said "I'm not leaving you, Chlo. You're my best friend and I can't let you go back there by yourself. Her dad is on his way and so is Jesse and he can go back with her. Don't make me leave you."

Chloe blinked back tears and spat out "Aubrey, go! I'm telling you to be with her because I can't be there and I don't want her to be alone. I'm not afraid, but she is and that's more important than having you hold my hand. I can't even feel you doing that, so please don't make me beg you to go. Okay?"

Aubrey kissed her hand and said "I'll go with her, but as soon as she's getting tests or her dad shows up then I'm coming back to you. I love you and it's going to be okay. I promise, bug."

Chloe smiled slightly at the girls' old nickname for her and closed her eyes to stop the tears from escaping as Aubrey stepped away from her and allowed the paramedics to take her back to a room. She hated to leave Chloe like this, but she asked her to be with Beca and that's what she had to do. Chloe seemed relatively calm and Beca wasn't, so the least she could do was go back there and try to calm her down a little.

* * *

Aubrey had no idea where they had taken Beca, but after walking for a minute she found a paramedic who took her back to the curtained off trauma room. As she slipped past the curtain, she froze when she saw nurses cutting Beca's clothes off while the girl whimpered in pain. One of the nurses noticed Aubrey standing there and softly said "Miss, you can't be back here. Only family can be with the patient, so unless you're related to her you need to leave."

Beca looked up at Aubrey and said "What are you doing here?! I told you to go with Chloe. I don't want you here and you need to be with her. Go!"

Aubrey shook her head and said "I'm not leaving you. Chloe is fine and she wanted me to come with you and to calm you down. Don't make me leave because it's just going to upset Chloe."

Beca frowned and said "We're not even fucking friends, Aubrey! You're her friend and you should be with her. My dad will be here and I'll be okay. Get out!"

Aubrey felt tears fill her eyes and tried to blink them out of her eyes as she turned to leave. Before she could slip out of the curtain though, she heard Beca cry out in pain and rushed back in to check on her. The doctor was trying to start an IV in Beca's arm and the girl was refusing to let him touch her. She was already in a ton of pain and she knew that the needle would hurt. She was pushing his hands away and squirming on the bed, which was only re-aggravating her injuries and making her pain worse. Aubrey rushed to the younger girl's side and took her undamaged right hand in hers, holding it tightly and trying to calm her. Beca looked up at Aubrey with fear filled eyes and said "Please don't let them hurt me. I hate needles and I just want to go home."

Aubrey stroked her sweaty hair and said "I know, but you have to stay here so they can get you better. Just look in my eyes and hold my hand and it'll be okay. They have to give you this medicine and I know that it hurts, but it's going to make you feel better."

Beca nodded her head slightly and allowed Aubrey to hold her arms down loosely against the bed so she wouldn't flinch when the needle was inserted into the vein. Beca looked up into Aubrey's green eyes as the doctor cleaned off her hand and moaned when he slid the needle into the tender skin on the back of her hand. Aubrey let go of Beca's arms and combed some hair out of her eyes before saying "You did so great, sweetie. They'll give you medicine and it won't hurt anymore. It's going to be okay, Bec."

Beca's eyes seemed to darken at the nickname and she shook her head roughly, stopping Aubrey from touching her face. She looked up at Aubrey and said "Don't call me that. Only Chloe can call me that and you're not her. Where is she? How is she doing?"

Aubrey stepped back from the bed, giving the upset girl some space, and said "She's conscious and she didn't seem like she was in any pain. She just told me that she was okay and to go with you. I won't know anything until I talk to a doctor, but she's alive and so are you and that's okay for now."

The nurse that talked to Aubrey before came over to her and said "Ma'am, we're taking her up to run some tests. You'll need to leave, but we'll keep you updated in the waiting area."

Aubrey nodded and said "Thank you. I'll see you in a little bit, Beca. Just think about Chloe when it hurts and you'll be okay. Just focus on her."

Beca nodded and as they started to move her bed, she looked up at Aubrey and tearfully said "I finally realized today that I want to spend the rest of my life with her. It took this stupid accident to make me understand and now I might lose her. Please make sure that she's okay, Aubrey. Promise me that you'll be with her and make it okay. I can't lose her."

Aubrey stroked her right arm gently as she walked alongside the stretcher and said "I promise, Beca. She's not alone and neither are you. It's going to be okay."

She released Beca's arm and leaned up against the wall as they pushed the small girl down the hallway and through a set of double doors. She had no idea if either of the girls would be okay and she was scared out of her mind. They were both her friends and to have one of them gone from her life would be unbearable. It was all too much for her and as she got sick in the nearest trash can, she couldn't help but sob in fear. This was her worst nightmare and as her body quivered with grief, she pulled away from the can and headed out to the waiting room, prepared to sit there all night until she got some kind of reassurance or news.

* * *

When she reached the lobby, Aubrey went to the nurse's station and asked for directions to Chloe's room. The nurse typed some information into her computer and after a moment she told Aubrey that Chloe was having tests run and that she wouldn't be allowed back there until they were finished. She promised Aubrey that she would give her updates if anything changed with either Chloe or Beca and told her that there was fresh coffee in the waiting room if she needed it. Aubrey thanked her and sulked over to the sitting area, disgruntled that they couldn't tell her anything specific about their injuries or give her a prognosis. She was in the dark and hating every moment of it.

As she entered the room full of chairs and magazines, she groaned when she saw Jesse lounging in the middle of the room with his feet propped up on a coffee table. He had two bags with him and was sipping a cup of coffee like he had no care in the world. After a few moments he noticed Aubrey standing in the doorway and said "Hey, Aubrey! Over here! I brought you some coffee."

Aubrey approached him and took the steaming cup from his hands, taking a deep sip of the fresh Starbucks coffee and sighing as the warmth seemed to spread through her body. She sunk down across from him on a couch and softly said "Didn't anyone ever tell you not to put your feet on stuff? It's rude."

Jesse smirked at her as he pulled his feet down and said "Yes, mom. So, have you seen either of them? I talked to the nurse and she said that Beca was in fair condition and Chloe was in serious condition. They were both getting tests run and she would have more news once the tests were done. That was pretty much all that she could tell me. Do you know anything?"

Aubrey shook her head and said "No, I don't know anything else. I saw Chloe when they brought her in and she was conscious, but they had her strapped down so she couldn't move. I used to watch a lot of _Grey's Anatomy_ and _ER_ and that usually means that there is a spinal injury. I tried to hold her hand, but she couldn't feel me or grip my hand or anything. It's probably...it could be really bad."

Jesse's face paled and he took a sip of his coffee before saying "Shit. They don't know for certain though, so maybe they're just being precautious. What about Beca? Were you with her?"

Aubrey nodded and said "Yeah, Chloe made me promise to stay with her. She was awake, but freaking out. I think she was in a lot of pain and was just pretty scared about everything. She had a bunch of cuts and scrapes and her left arm is really screwed up. There was a bone coming through her skin and I couldn't even look at it without feeling sick. They're doing x-rays and stuff like that right now to determine how bad things are and then they'll probably do surgery. There's no other way to get the bone back in its place, so we're in for a long night. Thank you for the coffee and for coming up here. I didn't want to be alone and it means a lot that you dropped everything to show up here."

Jesse just shrugged and said "It's no biggie. She's my best friend and I want to be here when she wakes up so I can apologize for being an idiot. Besides, we're not going to be alone for long since her dad only lives a few minutes from here. You called him, right?"

Aubrey nodded and said "Of course, but he's not in town this weekend. He's at a conference with Sheila and it's going to take him two hours to get back here. If she has to have surgery she won't be awake before he comes back, but I still don't want to handle this alone. She was freaking out back there and it should be her family comforting her, not me."

Jesse smiled at her and said "I'm sure she was happy to have you with her. Besides, she was probably more comfortable with you than she would have been if her dad was here. What about Chloe? Did you call her mom or her dad? Is he actually going to show?"

Aubrey gave him a questioning look and he said "Beca told me about her father one night when we were at the station. I should have known then that they were together, but I guess I just didn't want to believe it. Anyways, she basically said that he's not in her life and is an asshole. Do you think he's going to come?"

Aubrey looked down at her feet and said "I have his number, but I couldn't bring myself to call him. He's hurt her so much in the time that I've known her and I don't think I could control my temper if I talked to him. I'll just have Chloe's mom call him when they get here. She's flying in with her husband and Stacie and Cynthia Rose are going to pick them up at the airport. I don't know when their flight is leaving though, so it could be a while. I don't...it's probably not worth calling her father. He's just going to come up with an excuse and it's going to hurt her when he doesn't show."

Jesse shook his head and said "He's her father and he deserves to know that his daughter is hurt, even if he has been an absentee dad. If you don't feel comfortable calling him, I could do it. I'm a little removed from her situation and I won't get upset with him. I'll just call him and tell him the news and hang up. Do you want me to? It can't hurt and I want to help you with some of this stuff. You shouldn't have to take care of all of this on your own. Besides, I owe Chloe for how I treated her on game night and I want to do this."

Aubrey nodded and found his number in her cell phone, handing it to Jesse and relaxing as he took her phone and left the room. She had been dreading talking to Mr. Beale and if Jesse wanted to do it, then she wasn't stopping him. As she sunk back into the couch and drank her coffee, she could hear Jesse's voice gradually rising and becoming more and more agitated from across the room. He was standing just outside the door of the waiting room and she felt like a creep for listening to his conversation, but she didn't stop and tried to look like she was busy when he came back into the room a few minutes later.

He thrust the phone back into her arms and sunk back down on his chair, drinking from his cup and shaking his head in disgust. Aubrey raised an eyebrow at him as she expected him to give her some details and he smirked before saying "I know you were listening to my phone call. He's going to fly in as soon as he can find a flight. He's in New York City for a business conference and he can't stay long, but he's going to come. I hope he gives us a warning though before he shows up so I can steer clear of him. I didn't exactly keep my temper under control and there might have been a few things that I called him that I wouldn't say to his face. The important thing is that he is concerned and is going to come out here. That should make Chloe happy, right?"

Aubrey shrugged and said "I don't know, Jesse. Their relationship is weird and it seems like she would be happy to have him here, but he always manages to screw up and hurt her. Knowing him, he'll only stay for an hour or two and then leave. He loves his job too much and if this is an important conference, he's definitely not staying long. Anyway, thank you for calling him. It was really brave of you to call a stranger and yell at him and I really appreciate it."

Jesse just nodded and finished off his coffee before digging through one of his bags and pulling out a text book. He flashed the cover of his Accounting book at her and said "So, according to Beca you're a business maven. Do you think you could help me out with my homework? I have to take a few business electives and while I liked Intro to Accounting when it first started, this balance sheet stuff is killing me. Please?"

He flashed her puppy dog eyes and she smirked before motioning at a table across the room and walking over to it so she could help him with his assignment. Soon, Jesse easily understood the difficult concepts of his class and was a master at balance sheets. Once they finished his homework, they talked about different classes at Barden and a cappella. For two people that seemed to have nothing in common outside of Beca, they easily found things to talk about and before they knew it, an hour had passed without any news.

* * *

Jesse and Aubrey were in the middle of a spirited debate over which John Hughes' movie was the best when a nurse came over to them and put an end to their conversation. The woman smiled as Aubrey quickly sprung to her feet and said "I'm looking for the family of Chloe Beale. Would that be you, miss?"

Aubrey shook her head and said "Her parents are on their way, but it'll be some time before they get here. I'm her best friend and roommate Aubrey Posen. The nurse at the front desk said that someone would give me any updates on her condition."

The nurse nodded and said "That's fine. Please, sit back down and I'll try to fill you in."

Aubrey sunk back down at the table and felt Jesse's hand reach out for hers, gripping it tightly as the nurse set a file down in front of them and joined them at the table. She smiled at the pair and said "I was one of the trauma nurses that was here when Chloe was brought in. She was initially stable, but her condition has worsened as the night has gone on. We took her back for x-rays and a MRI and have moved her condition from serious to critical. We're preparing an operating room as we speak and it should be ready within a half hour. In the crash, several of her vertebrae were injured and she suffered a fracture in the midsection of her back. It is compromising the stability of her spinal cord and we need to go in there and repair the fracture and then the cord. We're optimistic that the cord is just bruised and will heal. The worst case scenario is that there is irreparable damage that has been done to it. We can't be certain what we'll find because we can't observe the complete scope of the injury until we enter her body, but it doesn't seem like it's that serious. Besides that, she has a broken leg that we're going to set in a cast and some whiplash that will make her neck pretty sore for a while. Do you have any questions?"

Aubrey was staring down at her hands, at a loss for words, and Jesse softly said "If her spinal cord is damaged, what does that mean? Will she be able to walk or use her arms?"

The nurse shook her head and said "No, she would most likely be paralyzed from her waist down. It's at a location where her arms would be spared, but there would be a loss of feeling in her abdominal and stomach regions as well."

At this, Aubrey let out a sob and left the table, suddenly feeling like she was going to faint and needing air. Jesse watched her leave and said "How is Chloe doing? Does she know about her condition and is she still awake?"

The nurse nodded and said "She's conscious and has been talking to us, but she's a little scared. She has a concussion so the details of the accident are pretty vague to her, but she understands the realities of her injury. The reason I came out here was because she requested that someone come back and be with her until we take her for the operation. It's a long surgery and it's extensive, so it's really the last chance for either of you to see her for at least seven hours. Whenever your friend comes back, one of you can come to the nurse's station and we'll bring you back to her room. I have to check on a patient, so just feel free to come back when you're ready."

Jesse thanked the nurse and as she walked away, he left the table and approached Aubrey, who was standing just outside of the entrance of the emergency room crying. She looked up at him with tear streaked cheeks and hugged him tightly, sobbing into his shirt as she silently prayed that Chloe would be okay. Jesse didn't know what to say or do for Aubrey to make it better and just rubbed her back gently as she slowly calmed down.

After five minutes she calmed down and Jesse softly said "Chloe wants to see one of us before they take her back for surgery. The nurse said that she was scared and just wanted someone with her before they put her under. I can wait here for news if you want to go back and see her."

Aubrey nodded against his chest and held onto his hand as she pulled away and led them back inside of the hospital. When they approached the nurse's station, a doctor walked up to them and said "Beca Mitchell?"

Jesse nodded and the doctor said "Hi, I'm Dr. Cortez. Beca sent me out to talk to you guys about what's going on. She has a tear in her shoulder and an open fracture in her left arm, so she's going to need surgery. Like your other friend, we're prepping an operating room for her and she wants one of you back there with her. She's calmed down considerably since we gave her a light sedative, but she's still pretty upset and scared. If one of you could follow me back, I'll bring you to her room."

Jesse looked up at Aubrey and she said "Chloe made me promise to stay with her. Could you talk to Chloe for me while I go with the doctor? I know she's your best friend and everything, but a promise is a promise."

Jesse just nodded and watched as Aubrey left with the doctor, leaving him alone in the lobby and full of the fear of having to face Chloe on his own. He put it aside though and talked to the nurse at the front desk who led him back to Chloe's room in silence, which was fine with him as he rehearsed just how he would apologize to the girl.

* * *

Aubrey stepped into Beca's room and smiled through her tears at the girl, who was propped up on the bed and looked a lot calmer than she had when she brought in. She approached her bed and said "Hey, how are you feeling? Are you scared for this surgery? I talked to the doctor on the way back and it's not too serious, so you should be just fine. That's good news, right?"

Beca nodded slowly and said "Yeah, I guess it is. How is she, Bree? Did you see her or talk to her?"

Aubrey shook her head and said "No, they had to take her for tests too. Jesse is with her now and he's going to be with her until she has surgery too. She hurt her back a little and they have to fix it, but it's no big deal."

Beca blinked back tears and said "I really screwed up tonight. I had this whole romantic thing planned and I blew it because I don't know how to drive. I should have looked, but I was so distracted by her and I just forgot. I don't blame you if you hate me. I hate myself right now and I hate that I hurt her."

Aubrey touched Beca's face gently and said "Hey, don't talk like that. No one hates you because it was an accident and it wasn't your fault. You didn't tell that guy to get drunk and get behind the wheel and run a stop light. I don't blame you or hate you and I just want you to get better. Jesse does too and he wanted me to tell you how sorry he is for what happened at game night. He screwed up too and he feels really bad, so maybe you could forgive him so he's not beating himself up for hours. He was the first person to get here and he really cares for you."

Beca nodded and said "Yeah, I know. Tell him I accept his apology and I'm glad he's here. Chloe will be happy to see him, too. Where's my dad at? Is he coming?"

Aubrey nodded and said "He should be here within an hour. He called your mom in Michigan and she's on her way too. When you wake up, everyone will be here and you'll be just fine. Your parents will be here and me and Jesse and Amy and the rest of the Bellas and everything will be okay."

Beca smiled as she fought her eyes from closing and she softly said "They gave me something for the pain and it's making me a little loopy. Do you care if I close my eyes for a little? I'm just so tired, but I don't want to be alone."

Aubrey nodded and said "Do whatever you need to do. I'm not leaving you Beca, so just close your eyes and relax. When you open them again, everything will be alright. I a-ca-promise."

Beca smiled at her words and nodded gently as her eyes slid shut and she slipped off into a dreamless sleep, leaving Aubrey alone as she watched her friend rest with tears running from her eyes. She had lied to Beca about Chloe's condition and she hoped that everything would be okay, but she knew that it probably wouldn't be and it scared her. She hated to imagine how Beca would react to bad news when she woke up and quickly forced it out of her head, refusing to imagine a world where Chloe would never walk or dance again.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jesse had just slipped into Chloe's room and stood in the doorway awkwardly as he waited for her to look up and notice him. Her neck was in a heavy brace and her range of motion was limited, but she heard someone step into the room and turned her head slightly to see who had come to see her. A slight smile appeared on her lips when she saw Jesse standing there and with a tired and weak voice, she said "Hi, Jesse. Come closer, I won't bite and you can't catch what I have."

Jesse smiled as he walked towards her bed and as he sat down he said "I wasn't worried about that. I just feel like an asshole for how I treated you at game night and I want to apologize. I'm not homophobic or anything; I was just really surprised and I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you and I hope you can accept my apology. I understand if you want me to leave, but Aubrey's with Beca right now and I don't want you to be alone."

Chloe smiled and said "Jesse, I forgive you and it's okay. I'm glad that Aubrey's with her and that I get to talk to you. How is Bree taking everything? Is she freaking out?"

Jesse laughed lightly and said "A little, but she's okay. She just loves you so much and this whole thing is scaring her. She has nothing to worry about though, since you're going to be just fine. I think they're going to find nothing when they go in there and you'll be up and walking soon. I have hope and I believe that everything is going to be okay."

Chloe closed her eyes for a moment as she fought through a wave of nausea, and eventually whispered "Me too. How is Beca doing? Did they tell you anything? I kept asking, but no one would give me any updates. She scared the hell out of me when we came in here with her screaming and crying. I thought the worst and I've been thinking about her nonstop since."

Jesse took one of Chloe's hands in his and squeezed it tightly, feeling a little better when she squeezed his hand back weakly, and said "She's going to be fine. She just has a shoulder and arm injury and they're going to operate at the same time that you're getting your surgery. She's fine and you're both going to be okay. How are you feeling, Chloe? You look **really** pale."

Chloe squeezed her eyes shut as she felt sick again and said "I'm okay, not a lot of pain or anything. The feeling was coming back to my arms, but they gave me something a little while ago to relax me and I can't feel much again. Something just feels off though, but I can't figure out what it is. I feel sick and it's probably just nerves. Could you do something for me? Could you tell Aubrey and Beca that I love them? Just in case something happens back there and I don't come back or I come back and I'm not the same. Could you do that for me?"

Jesse nodded and said "Yeah, but it's not going to happen. You're going to be okay and you can tell them yourself. Don't think like that, Chloe. It's going to be okay."

Chloe nodded and said "I know, but just in case. Could you tell my family too? My mom and my stepdad and…and my real dad? Could you make sure that they know?"

Jesse nodded again and said "Sure, Chloe. I can do that. Your dad's on his way and so is your mom. I talked to him and he's worried, but he's coming to see you and to make sure you're okay. It's all going to be alright."

Chloe smiled a little and said "I know. Thank you for being a good friend Jesse. I can see what Beca sees in you and she's so lucky to have you in her life. I…I'm kind of dizzy so I'm just going to close my eyes for a minute. Don't take it personally if I fall asleep."

Jesse just nodded and stroked her damp hair gently, moving it off of her sweaty forehead and sweeping it over her shoulders. Her face was pale and he couldn't stop looking at her as her body trembled without her control. Something was wrong and he was about to go and get help, when her bleary eyes sprung open and she stared up at him with fear painted on her face.

She tried to say something, but instead felt her stomach lurch and Jesse backed away as she vomited blood all over herself and the bed. It was impossibly bright and the smell of the pungent liquid invaded his nostrils and made him recoil in shock.

**Blood**. That wasn't normal and he could feel his heart start to pound as Chloe whimpered in pain and looked up at him in terror. A line of blood slowly dripped from her mouth and coated her lips in the liquid as it eventually dripped off of her chin and onto the bed. She tried to find the words to say to him to express her fear, but nothing would come out as her eyes slowly rolled back in her head and she collapsed back against the mattress.

Jesse watched in horror as she passed out and gasped as the sound of a monitor beeping filled the air. He jumped to his feet as the heart monitor attached to her chest flat lined and ran out into the hallway, screaming for help. Once he heard shoes squeaking on the linoleum floors and the sound of voices getting nearer, he came back into the room and grabbed one of Chloe's hands, holding it tightly as they burst into the room, yelling out orders and asking for equipment.

His body froze when a nurse yelled "Code Blue" and a machine was brought into the room to shock her heart. He was pushed away from her body and leaned against the wall, watching in shock as they pulled open her gown and pressed the paddles down onto her chest. The shock from the machine rocked her body and it was terrifying, but he couldn't pull his eyes away.

They shocked her once, but nothing changed and his eyes grew wide as they started to perform CPR on her body, pressing down vigorously as they tried to bring the girl back to life. All he could hear was the sound of the heart monitor screaming out and his breaths coming in harsh pants. It wasn't until a nurse pulled him out of the room that he realized that he had been screaming out Chloe's name, begging for her to wake up and be okay.

As the door slammed in front of him and he watched them work on the girl through the glass, he let his emotions get the best of him and slid to the floor and just watched.

She couldn't die. Nothing was working and they were practically banging down on her chest with their compressions, but she had to be alright. Chloe Beale couldn't just die, but the actions of the doctors were telling him differently as he closed his eyes and started to pray one simple mantra over and over in his head: "Don't die, please don't die."


	11. The Other Side of Zero

**A/N: So, this chapter was never supposed to happen. This was supposed to be where I revealed that there's a sequel to this story, but I re-read the rules and oops, can't make a chapter that's just a note. So, this is stuff that I really wanted to be in last chapter, but didn't have the space for it without it being crazy long. I like this though because it gives the story a nice place to end and a good starting point for the sequel.**

**I say sequel, but I guess I mean the second part of a trilogy. When I started this, I envisioned a three-part journey. The first part is love, the second part is loss, and the third part is growth/change. I'm working on the first chapter of the sequel and it should be up tomorrow. It's entitled _Keep Breathing _and I hope that you continue to read this series. All of your reviews and follows have been so great and I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. **

**Thank you for reading and I hope you've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Here's the last chapter (for real this time!)**

**-Melissa**

* * *

**Chapter 10.5: The Other Side of Zero**

Jesse sat outside of Chloe's room for what felt like an eternity, watching them work on the girl and try to bring some sign of life back to her body. It was so surreal to him, that it was almost like watching a movie. This couldn't be real life. This couldn't be happening to someone he knew, someone he could call a friend after this was over. This couldn't be real.

As he felt a warm tear pass over his cheek he reached out and swiped it away angrily, upset with himself for showing this kind of emotion in public. He was a man and men didn't act like this. He barely knew Chloe and while he liked her and had heard nothing but nice things about her, their relationship didn't warrant this kind of reaction.

A nurse ran into the room with fresh blood to be given to Chloe and as the door swung shut, he could still hear the haunting tone coming from the heart monitor. As he felt his own heart sink, he realized just why he was so upset. He loved Beca and Beca loved Chloe and losing her would destroy his best friend and he didn't want that to happen. She needed to make it and while part of his reasons for wanting this were purely selfish, he also desperately wanted to see her survive. No one should die this young and especially someone who had as bright of a future as Chloe did. She was going to be a doctor, for God's sake! Take away a murderer or a rapist, but not someone who was good and just wanted to make the world better.

As he looked down at his faded sneakers, he thought back to his conversation with Chloe's dad and how it seemed like someone else had taken over his body as he yelled at the stranger. He was usually so calm and collected and it had scared him as he remembered the tense and mean tone that he took with the man. He had practically screamed at the man, telling him to get off of his ass and get out here to see his daughter because she was in critical condition. Looking back at it now, it seemed a little bad ass to take charge like that but part of him felt bad for doing it. It wasn't his place to tell someone news like this and her relationship with her father was really none of his business either. Sure, Beca had confided in him one night when they had a late shift at work and he tried to understand, but he really couldn't and he shouldn't have thrown it back in the man's face. He would need to apologize for how he acted, but knew in his heart that the prospect of Chloe's father actually showing up was slim and that made it hurt even more.

He had been sitting there for ten minutes when the door opened and a nurse said "Sir, we need you to leave the hallway so we can take her out. Go back to the waiting area and someone will talk to you shortly."

Jesse nodded and got to his feet, holding onto the wall as his legs felt wobbly underneath him. As he took a few steps down the hall and away from the room, he listened intently and could no longer hear the heart monitor's beeping noise. He looked back and watched as they pushed her out of the room on the bed, but her body was shielded by the team of doctors and nurses and he could barely make out anything. It he couldn't hear the noise, then she was probably okay and going to make it. Or what if she was gone and he couldn't hear it because they had disconnected the monitors? His stomach did flips and as the door to her room was closed as they pushed her out, he spotted blood on the floor and gasped, leaning back against the wall as everything hit him at once. **This** was bad and he would have to break the news to Aubrey, which broke his heart all over again. What had he gotten himself into?

* * *

In a car driving quickly down a South Carolina highway, Ben Mitchell was gripping his steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had gone completely white and were throbbing with pain. It didn't matter though. He had to get back to Duluth to see his daughter and to make sure she was okay. It was late and he was exhausted, but he had to get back.

Next to him, Sheila had just hung up her cell phone after a tense conversation with Susan, his ex-wife and Beca's mother. She slid the phone back into her purse and said "She's really scared, Ben. She's trying to get a flight out as soon as possible, but she probably can't get a direct flight and it's going to take long with a transfer and everything. I told her she could stay with us when she gets here and that I would pick her up from the airport."

Ben sighed heavily and Sheila simply said "Beca is hurt, Ben. I know it's awkward to have her in our house and for your wife to pick up your ex at the airport, but Beca needs her mother here and I can make a sacrifice for her. She's going to be okay. I have a good feeling."

Ben wiped his hands over his sleep filled eyes and said "Don't tell me that, Sheila. My daughter is lying broken in some hospital with God knows what wrong with her and you can't tell me that she's going to be okay. What if we don't get there in time and something happens to her? What do we do then?"

Sheila reached out and took one of his hands in hers, threading their fingers together and holding it tightly. After a moment she said "Aubrey told us that she's in stable condition and that's a good thing in a situation like this. I know that I can't tell you that she's going to be okay, but I have hope Ben and you need to have it too. I know you're scared about your daughter and I am too, but we just have to get there and wait. We just have to go home and everything will be okay."

Ben held her hand a little tighter and softly said "Yeah, everything will be okay."

* * *

Jesse trudged slowly back to the waiting room, freezing when he saw Aubrey sitting on a couch texting someone on her phone. Her hair was down from its bun and hung in loose waves over her shoulders. He looked down and saw that she had her shoes off too, propping her legs up on coffee table in front of her and relaxing for the first time since arriving at the hospital. His breath caught in his chest as he looked at her and realized for the first time just how beautiful she was. Behind her harsh attitude and fierce exterior, she was gorgeous and he hated to bring any amount of pain to her pretty face. Now wasn't the time for sappy or romantic thoughts though and he thrust them to the back of his mind as he walked towards the girl.

Aubrey heard him enter the room and sent her text before looking up at him, standing quickly when she saw dried blood on his hands and few spots of it on his shirt. He walked towards her with his head down and she softly said "Jesse…are you okay? What's with the blood? Did you see Chloe?"

Jesse nodded and bit his lip, trying to think of the right words to say. Finally he looked back up at her and said "I'm fine. I was back there with her, but something happened and it's bad Aubrey. I'm so sorry."

Tears filled her eyes and her voice quivered as she whispered "What are you sorry about? What was bad that happened? I have to…take me back to her so I can see her. I have to see her, Jesse!"

By now the tears were pouring from her eyes and he grabbed her shoulders, stopping her from moving and running to a scene that she didn't need to see. He wiped her cheeks off softly with his thumbs and meekly said "When I was back there, she looked really bad. I had never seen anyone look so pale and she…she started to throw up blood. It was everywhere and it got on my shirt and I…I tried to hold her hand and make it hurt less, but she passed out and then her monitors went crazy. They were doing CPR and shocking her heart and…I don't know if she's alive, Aubrey. They made me leave and they took her out of there and I couldn't hear the machines anymore. I'm so sorry, I wish I knew more."

Tears were now running from his face and Aubrey felt like she was going to pass out as her entire world broke apart around her. Chloe was her best friend and her sister and she might be dead right now. She couldn't live without her, she** wouldn't **live without her. She wavered on her feet and felt Jesse catch her, pulling her into his arms and holding her tightly. She couldn't move or talk or think or breathe. All she could do was sob into the arms of the one person she never thought would be here for her.

Aubrey and a Treble, hugging in a waiting room and bonding over a tragedy. Chloe would have a ball when she heard about this. If she heard about this. **If**. The two letters that sent her back over the edge and squeezing him back, knowing that if she let go she would lose it completely and finding sanity in his touch if only for a moment.

**The End**


End file.
